Notes and thoughts on Wage, Labor, and Capital by Marx

Wage workers exchange their time and skills for a set wage. The wage they aim for is usually what they need to live, but what they actually get paid is often less. The value of their work is actually determined by how much the capitalist sells the product for. It's a thought-provoking concept, especially when considering professions like teachers and nurses who provide essential services but are undervalued for the work they do.

Capitalists own all the tools and supplies necessary for work, making workers dependent on them. The workers often forget that without themselves, these tools and supplies are useless. The labor of the worker is actually a valuable resource. The capitalists have the upper hand because the workers are not united or organized. Marxism and Communism both aim for everyone to have an equal responsibility to work, ensuring equal opportunities for all to live and pursue happiness.

The idea of revolution is an utopian dream until workers rise up against the wealthy capitalist and elite classes. It's important for workers to come together, even with the peasant class, to make the revolution a reality. Labor is more than just about money; workers sometimes overlook the value they bring. Whether called contract workers or wage slaves, laborers essentially prostitute themselves by selling their body and time for a set amount of money and duration. And while we're at it, sex workers are workers who provide a service, just like actors and masseurs. All three trade pleasure for resources.

It's like a constant race among workers. They're always trying to outshine each other, and those willing to work for less end up being the ones to offer their labor. It's a bit of a tough competition. The number of employers in the mix has a negative impact on workers' raises. Despite the competition, employers often go for the cheapest labor available, treating it like any other resource. When there are more buyers, prices tend to go up, leading to inflation. On the other hand, fewer buyers can mean lower prices for goods. The average cost usually reflects the production cost of goods. Market demand can fluctuate, causing bubbles that eventually burst, negatively affecting everyone involved.

Workers are valuable in their industry as long as the industry needs them. However, when industries become outdated or automated, the need for labor decreases, leaving workers without jobs. It's the process between technological progress and employment. Workers often resist advancements to protect their jobs, even if it means hindering technological progress, which has negative consequences for humanity. Humanity is interconnected through the process of production. Capitalism represents just one mode of framework of this interconnectedness, a specific societal mode of production.

Essentially, a person only becomes a worker when their labor is needed by another under capitalism. Commodities are products that can be traded for money. They gain value through power dynamics. Labor serves capital to maintain its value, and present labor keeps past labor valuable by using products produced from past laborers to support current work. When a worker gets paid, it's to cover living expenses. Since they need that money for survival and spend it on necessities, they end up as wage slaves under the capitalist system, depending on capitalism for their preservation. Wages, although not openly discussed, are a result of all laborers' efforts. For example, a shoemaker creates or produces wages too.

When a capitalist produces more of a commodity, they hire more workers. However, even if the demand for these goods rises, workers' wages often stay the same. This means the capitalist profits more while workers' pay remains unchanged. Plus, with fluctuating money value, it costs more to buy things. Since wages don't always rise with profits, workers' quality of life suffers. Without an enforced or regulated market, the workers become more and more enslaved. Thus, the freer the market, the more enslaved the people.

No matter how much a worker has or how good their quality of life is, they'll always desire the lifestyle of the capitalist, of the elitist. They'll keep striving for real wages to afford that life, which isn't just the paycheck amount but the actual cost of living that lifestyle. Profit is what's left after expenses like labor and resources. When resources get cheaper, wages go down, and capitalists make more profit, widening the gap between the two classes. The cheaper production costs usually lead to lower prices. Capitalists focus on profits, while laborers focus on wages, creating a contrast.

Here's the continuation:

The more money a laborer makes for a capitalist, the lower their social status. Instead of increasing wages, more responsibilities are often added for workers nowadays. Workers are burned out and discarded for newer employees. Capitalists will sacrifice immediate income and sales volume to aim for a monopoly and to eliminate competition, leading to more market and societal exploitation. They constantly seek new tech and methods for higher production and cheaper labor. By pitting laborers against each other to do more for less, capitalists can push workers to overwork. As laborers become more efficient, many are let go, increasing unemployment, mixing old workers with new workers entering the workforce. Basically, the sum of all this is that workers and people are oppressed and exploited, i.e., violated by capitalism. And the freer the market is, the more enslaved people will be. But under capitalism, people will always be enslaved to capitalists. And until workers revolt, they will never be free.