I have a thought that it is a governments best interest to keep its populace working, so that it is inundated, and "happy" with the consumerism that comes along with a paycheck.

That way a government can get their hands into anything it wants, without interference.

It starts at an early age, and has for a long time.

6 basic functions of school 1) The adjustive or adaptive function. Schools are to establish fixed habits of reaction to authority. This, of course, precludes critical judgment completely. It also pretty much destroys the idea that useful or interesting material should be taught, because you can't test for reflexive obedience until you know whether you can make kids learn, and do, foolish and boring things.

2) The integrating function. This might well be called "the conformity function," because its intention is to make children as alike as possible. People who conform are predictable, and this is of great use to those who wish to harness and manipulate a large labor force.

3) The diagnostic and directive function. School is meant to determine each student's proper social role. This is done by logging evidence mathematically and anecdotally on cumulative records. As in "your permanent record." Yes, you do have one.

4) The differentiating function. Once their social role has been "diagnosed," children are to be sorted by role and trained only so far as their destination in the social machine merits - and not one step further. So much for making kids their personal best.

5) The selective function. This refers not to human choice at all but to Darwin's theory of natural selection as applied to what he called "the favored races." In short, the idea is to help things along by consciously attempting to improve the breeding stock. Schools are meant to tag the unfit - with poor grades, remedial placement, and other punishments - clearly enough that their peers will accept them as inferior and effectively bar them from the reproductive sweepstakes. That's what all those little humiliations from first grade onward were intended to do: wash the dirt down the drain.

6) The propaedeutic function. The societal system implied by these rules will require an elite group of caretakers. To that end, a small fraction of the kids will quietly be taught how to manage this continuing project, how to watch over and control a population deliberately dumbed down and declawed in order that government might proceed unchallenged and corporations might never want for obedient labor.

This is based off Alexander Inglis's 1918 book, Principles of Secondary Education printed as a Harvard Professor. I pulled a summary from here and John Taylor Gatto: Http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2013/02/6-principals-of-secondary-education.html?m=1

Indoctrination is just one facet of the matrix that binds us to the State corpus. Our neoliberal economic "development", the rigged monetary system, it's all linked together.

Then it continues into adulthood where people must resort to degrading work

Who must resort to degrading work? What makes work degrading?

What choice do they have but to take that desk job where you stare at a computer monitor all day and shuffle papers around?

Alternatively, in my job in which I stare at a computer monitor much of the day but rarely shuffle paper around because, you know, computer...

I get to help my clients find ways to better serve their customers. Some of that includes the ability to predict the best course of treatment to help people recover from injuries as swiftly and as permanently as possible.

But even if it weren't for that last bit, I still get to help people have a better day at work. I don't think of that as degrading. It's pretty cool, actually.

As long as people don't stop to think about their life and question their purpose.

I think about my life all the time. I stopped questioning my purpose after I discovered what it was: Whatever the fuck I want it to be. Or, if you want to get all Buddhist up in here, happiness.

So you don't feel like a slave? Good for you. You're a happy slave.

So you don't feel like a slave?

I've never been shackled.

I've never been whipped.

I've never been purchased or sold.

I have never been denied food or water as punishment for misbehavior, real or imagined.

I have never been forcibly bred.

Big, giant, FUCK YOU to anyone comparing working at a job to slavery. Learn the heinousness of the actions behind the words you so flippantly spew.

You're comparing one of the worst instances of slavery, slavery in the antebellum american south, to one of the most mild instances of a phenomena many, including yourself, would not describe as slavery. Not all slaves are whipped. Even if you're a independently wealthy you could be a slave to yourself.

you could be a slave to yourself

Irrational. I'm out.

Not irrational, you've just never thought about it before. A drug addict is a slave to themselves. That's more rational than saying they are a slave to drugs, since drugs are inanimate. Logic!

Unless you volunteer your time, you are a slave.

More irrational bullshit.

I sell my time. Slaves are purchased like cattle and dogs.

Can an employee say, "I don't feel like working today," whenever they feel like it? No, they can't. They'd be fired.

I've done that quite often. It's called "Paid Time Off". The company I am interviewing at tomorrow has a very liberal policy - they don't count those unplanned days off. Of course, they trust you to be a responsible adult and not abuse it. Seems rational because if I go there, they and I would be entering into an agreement whereby I deliver value to them in return for some of their money.

That's, like, the opposite of slavery.

You do what the boss tells you. You answer to authority. You are slave.

More idiocy.

I wouldn't do what the boss tells me if it were illegal. Fortunately, I have a boss with scruples.

If the boss told me to do something irrational, I would question him. The difference between my situation and slavery is that A) I would actually do that and B) It would result in a discussion rather than 20 lashes with a whip.

If the boss tells me to do too much stuff that I find distasteful, I go find another job. Unlike the slave who... takes it, I guess? Or tries to run away, taking the chance of getting caught and losing half a foot.

What if someone tells me what to do and I agree with them?

Like, "Breathe"

Is not slavery if I choose to do it.

Only an unemployable lazy piece of Monkey crap would think that way.

You and you alone are responsible for your own choices.

And I decide that I will sell my time for someone else's money. I could equally decide to not sell my time for money.

What compulsion drives people to live their life in quiet desperation?

I wouldn't know because I don't.

I came to the conclusion that most office jobs and salary "work" is primarily bullshit, too. You should read the Utopia of Rules by David Graeber.

I will check out that book tomorrow !

I totally agree but what do we do? Move to the country and have no medical care? It seems like even though we are slaves, it's better to be a house slave than a field slave.

What can we do?

I think people have a big choice wether or not they want to shuffle papers. Most people will probably pick the desk job and then sit and complain about it. There are plenty of opportunities out there. I agree that the world is full of distractions and bullshit mind control, but we also have the choice to follow or lead.

Well said.

I wouldn't say half, but yes, some jobs could be combined.

could be worse, could be stuck in a factory doing tedious back breaking dangerous shit, crap for crap wages.

guy at work today dropped a 200lb flywheel on his arm, the 'cheap' Chinese lifting magnet failed, he was lucky no serious damage.

He was "lucky" because he could've been hurt worse. Or we are lucky because we could have Chinese factory jobs. This is a slave mentality. You're taking the lesser of two bad options and thinking you got a deal. How about you give me $100 or somebody fucks you in the ass? You'd be happy to pay the $100, right?

This is becoming increasingly true as our automation, AI, and robotics get better. Don't think it's a conspiracy tho. Before computers, most jobs were a lot more involved and took a lot more work & training.

Also, school work was a lot harder before the internet and wikipedia. From what I understand, people had to go to libraries, check catalogs, and read books

Hopefully when Humanoid robotic slaves become economically feasible, we will have a basic income, and the middle class won't be replaced by silicone or carbon.

Grow up.

It means you have an immature and simplistic view of "the big picture".

You and you alone are responsible for your own choices.

And I decide that I will sell my time for someone else's money. I could equally decide to not sell my time for money.

What compulsion drives people to live their life in quiet desperation?

I wouldn't know because I don't.