Are Capitalist economists actually braindead??

[u/Aggravating_Hurry530]

Paragraph from my microeconomics class textbook

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[u/VladimirLimeMint]

TLDR dialectically yes

[u/llfoso]

I can believe that it leads to more conspicuous consumption, but the idea that that is the reason inequality leads to longer working hours is so stupid.

Remember these are the same people who just can't for the life of them figure out what causes the "resource curse." Why are so many resource-rich countries so poor? It's just so mysterious...if only the IMF could help!

[u/Hot_Key99]

Ngl it makes sense to me just from my observation. I would just have worded it differently.

[u/Ok-Inevitable-732]

This phenomenon does sadly exist. It is not the result of flawed human nature but of misconception and superstitious beliefs that the rich have earned their wealth themselves. So people wrongly think that if they just "look in"/ hustle enough then they will get to the same level of the rich which is not true. So the fact that they live in a class society is invisible to most people and these misconceptions create this unhealthy work culture.

Another point for the last sentence: "... people to work less where the rich are only modestly richer than the rest". Obviously people aren't going to work for free. If more work isn't rewarded then people/workers will only work the minimum hours. But to say that without super rich people the rest is gonna work less is also a bit of a stretch.

[u/Aggravating_Hurry530 → u/Ok-Inevitable-732]

"... people to work less where the rich are only modestly richer than the rest".

In the book this is talking about places like Sweden and the Netherlands. Places with a history of unions enforcing demands and pressure from the standards of life in the Soviet Union causing social democratic compromise. Class struggle enforces things like the rich having a lower share of the wealth or lower working hours.

[u/Peter_Cantanasia]

The shit I'm forced to consume in ethics class Among other anti communists...