
How are you gonna get paid to pay the taxes that you owe the government to get all the government programs that you want? What system out there doesn’t have people working? Name your system, somebody still has to go produce shit and no system has been able to raise the overall standard of living for a country of any real size like capitalism.
its freeloading to want the government you pay taxes to, to actually use those taxes for the peoples benefit and not for idk uh say war and genocide? youre the type of person who think children can freeload of their parents, yk the people who brought them on this earth against their own will
I have seen 70 year old ladies working as Walmart greeters because they can’t afford their retirement, 85 year old grandfathers thrown out of hospitals because their insurance ran out, and many many other old people not getting the care they deserve because capitalism fucked them over
Right now, the system doesn’t consistently compensate people in proportion to the value they create. Many workers produce far more economic value than they receive in wages, while a significant share of that value is captured by owners of capital. That imbalance is what people mean when they talk about exploitation, not that work exists, but that the benefits of that work are unevenly distributed.
If we imagine an alternative, I think it would start with the idea that a nation’s wealth should serve all of its people. In a highly productive economy, no one should struggle to meet basic needs like healthcare, housing, or food simply because of their employment status. Democratic socialist thought emphasizes that baseline security, ensuring everyone can live a healthy, dignified life regardless of where they fall in the labor market.
At the same time, a better system wouldn’t eliminate incentives or personal ambition. People could still earn more, innovate, and pursue different careers. But the gap between what workers produce and what they receive would be narrower, and essential services would be decommodified so that survival isn’t tied entirely to wages.
Another key point is how we think about time. Economic growth and productivity gains should translate into better lives for everyone, not just higher profits. That could mean shorter workweeks, more paid leave, and more flexibility, so people have time for family, creativity, and personal development. Right now, many people feel like they’re trading most of their best years just to stay afloat, even in a wealthy society.