This is a classic 1911 worker's rights poster that i have edited for current issues.
1. The producers are on the lowest tier. They are the ones that support the entire system. Their labors create all the wealth & capital that feeds the rest.
2. You have exploiters on the second tier. They are the ones being enriched by the labors of the masses. They do not produce anything by their own labors, but leech off the production of others. I would put welfare recipients, govt employees, profiteers, passive investors, and all who do not themselves produce anything. All these are supported by the labors of the producers.
3. Then you have the military, which in the american tradition is to protect the people so their labors are not stolen by enemies, foreign or domestic. They are an expense, but if they do their job of protecting society so they can labor fruitfully, then it is a valid expense. It is up to the people & the conditions of the world to determine how much they need to spend on this protection.
4. Next are the entertainers.. celebrities, sports heroes, religious movements, & all multimedia. They are a leech on the producers, but it is an optional one for free citizens. It is not mandated by the govt, or enforced by the military.
5. The govt is at the uppermost tier, which is usually the case. Govt has always ruled from the top, & used their power to enforce their mandates on the working producers. The larger this tier gets, the more of a burden it is on the productive parts of society. Lincoln said the goal of good govt is to let the laborer keep as much of the increase of his labor as possible. Govt should be small & efficient, with power used to prevent the exploiters from robbing the labors of the people. In America, govt's main duty is to secure our rights, not take a large share of our productivity.
Capital is a result of labor.. the harvest of the producers at the lowest levels of the tier. The capital is what everyone lives on. Those that sponge off the producers are on the top tiers. All the increase is at the bottom. This is basic labor, that produces all the capital & property of the society. All salable goods & services fall into this category. All others are dependents on the producers.
Someone asked me where academia fits in this pyramid.. my reply:
ReplyDeleteI think in reality, there are only 2 tiers. Those who produce salable goods & services, & those who do not. The military, fire, & police are services to protect the property produced. They are an expense. Govt oversees that, & regulates & enforces laws so the producers are not ripped off by thieves, oppressors, or exploiters. Academia is a service provided to increase production.. it is knowledge imparted, for a fee, to those who wish to increase their own production. They do not actually produce, but like the military & police, they provide a service that allows the producers to increase.
I see advances in farming, manufacturing, engineering, research & development, etc as being part of this. It is a valid function, but it is an expense. It only has capital value in the increased production it provides.
Some of academia is the same as the entertainment tier. They do not improve production or increase capital for society, but are more leisure pursuits.. art, music, theater, & philosophical degrees are luxuries for an affluent society. It is more like sports & religion. They are optional expenses for a society that has already provided for their essential food, water, housing, & protection.