General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I hate to get into it, but here goes [View all]RainDog
(28,784 posts)and for the discussion b/t the two of you here. (thanks nomorenomore08, too)
One BIG problem is the elitist attitude that any sort of manual labor itself is somehow lesser than any sort of white collar work (and I use the difference "labor" and "work" specifically.)
There is nothing disparaging about working with your hands, or putting your back into work - yet people constantly deride manual labor when people doing it are often contributing more to this society than someone pushing paper in middle management (tho, like union jobs, those are now being weeded out or outsourced, etc.)
It is HONORABLE to do work that contributes to the well being of society - but those jobs - even in situations that require college (such as education) are treated as lesser in the U.S. (which, fwiw, is not the case in social democracies where kids and parents are respectful toward educators - even primary level ones.)
I'm too much of a klutz to do many jobs in manual labor. But my skills are in areas that are also not highly paid unless someone hits the "work lottery" - or specifically targets their work toward the sort of projects that are favored by the majority of people for one reason or another. that, too, has nothing to say about the value of work - because economic value isn't the only value.
the problem in this nation, as I see it, is that we have this mindset that money is everything, even when we pretend it's not. but our attitudes reveal it is - esp. in those who claim they hold the high moral ground - which gets back to that Rand (Ayn and Paul) shaming and blaming and, frankly, repulsive attitude toward anyone who is honest about the reality that this nation favors things not based upon worth, but based upon how much such works continues to perpetuate the privilege and the elitism of the elite.