News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The gig economy of the 18th Century by RobertoG on Monday July 24, 2017 @05:43AM (#14837050)
"How governments can be enthusiastically cheering on a return to pre-industrialisation labour practices is beyond me [..]"

This is only surprising if you think of the system as a happy place where everything is automatically optimal.

For me the reason is obvious if you accept the old (and now unfashionable) idea that there is an ongoing conflict between capital and labour for who keep the profits.

Government is the rope that those forces are pulling in order to get their goals and, it seems, one is pulling stronger than the other now.

I watched this interesting interview(1) where the interviewed (around 6 minutes) mention how the view of the system as an ideal system (as something apolitical) without conflict appeared.

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTDei-dAKW8

Re:The gig economy of the 18th Century by TeMPOraL on Monday July 24, 2017 @06:17AM (#14837203)
> Government is the rope that those forces are pulling in order to get their goals and, it seems, one is pulling stronger than the other now.

This is a very insightful metaphor. I haven't seen it before. Thanks!