STEEM Is The New Form Of "Work"

What comes to mind when you think of "work"?

This is a term that is a central part of our society. Since we moved from an agricultural economy, work carried with it a certain connotation. In the Industrial Age, it was as a factory worker. Initially, the conditions were horrific as the balance of power resided with management. Over time, the workers were called "labor". As they gain representation, the balance shifted a bit which improved things greatly.

We also witnessed a shift the last 30 years, at least in the Western societies. Here we went from a manufacturing based economy to a service oriented one. Now work carries the meaning of heading to an office. More people are sitting behind desks than are working with their hands. One of the reasons for this is because many blue collar jobs were automated out.

Now, we are seeing the start of another step in automation. This time, it will be the white collar workers that are affected. Software is being produced to streamline tasks within a business environment. Eliminate enough tasks and the workforce gets reduced.

Many organizations are predicting the elimination of tens of millions of jobs in the United States over the next decade or two. Similar forecasts exist for Western Europe. The situation becomes more grim in the third world nations which, believe it or not, are projected to get hit first.

With all these jobs being eliminated, what are people going to do for "work"? This is going to be a severe challenge on a few different levels. The obvious aspect is the financial. How does one makes end meet with a job (just above broke)? More importantly, most people have their identity tied to what they do. When we meet someone new, one of the first questions is usually "so what do you do for work?".

This idea is used by some who are opponents to basic income. They state, incorrectly in my opinion, that people need work for their self worth. Without work, people will not feel like they have a reason for living. What a bunch of bankster programmed horse dung that is.

A person has worth simply because he or she is breathing. Period. End of discussion.

In my mind, this is one of the beliefs that needs changing among people. The banksters created a hierarchical system establishing levels of worth based upon how high up one climbed. This, of course, keeps one motivated to "keep climbing the ladder" (i.e. making the banksters and other elites more money). While the person might get a raise for the effort, the value produced for those at the top is enormous.

This is simply another spin on the "ole Protestant" work ethic.

Go to school, get a good education, work hard, climb the corporate ladder, retire in comfort and live happily ever after. This is the mantra we were fed.

Raise your hand if that is your experience.

In the U.S., more than half the Baby Boomers have not adequately saved for retirement. Wage growth over the last 20 years is almost non-existent. Student loan debt is over $1T meaning the average person in this category is saddled with a small house payment (but without the house).

And all this is before significant automation comes through and wipes out millions of jobs.

What do you think things will look like after that happens?

The bottom line is one simple shift took place that few noticed. It changed the entire basis of how management/ownership and labor interacted. Once this happened, there was no turning back. Now, we are confronted with the prospect of carrying this all the way to the end.

That shift is this: the dependence that capital and labor had on each other is severed.

In the past, for capital to grow, it required the expansion of labor. Today, because of automation, that is no longer the case. We now see capital grow while labor is consolidating in many areas.

It is this one basic fact that negates many arguments which espouse that this time is the same as before. Jobs will not be created in abundance in the future since capital does not require them. In fact, we are in an age where the goal is to increase capital while minimizing the labor cost.

This makes large scale job creation completely impossible.

So what is the answer?

Enter cryptocurrencies.

Utility tokens are the solution to a problem that is unfolding as we speak. The ability for people to earn money without having a "job" is crucial. That does not mean people will not work; it means we will have to view things differently.

I am very candid in my belief that STEEM will be a "nation" with Steemians as citizens. This blockchain has the potential to be a basic piece of people's digital life. Work, play, communication, shopping, and education can all take place on here. We even have a hard fork coming up with a feature called "Communities".

STEEM will be the community many of us immerse ourselves in.

It is in this regard that we need to understand how the view of "work" is to change. People will not be dependent upon one place for their incomes. My belief is that 5 years from now, many people will be earning an assortment of tokens on a monthly basis. We will be paid for many of the activities we presently do for free. This is the basis for the "attention economy". As we know, our attention has extreme value, just we are not the ones getting paid for it. That is going to change.

There will be the temptation to call people lazy, loafers, and deadbeats. This is nothing more than the programming by the elite.

Have you ever noticed how only the rich are allowed to enjoy "leisure"? If a poor person does that, he or she is a free loader even if it is not on the government dime. Once again, our belief system in operation.

STEEM offers each individual who joins the opportunity to contribute, hence be rewarded. Anyone can post, comment, and upvote. For those who are adept at coding, anyone is free to create an application and place it on this blockchain. By the same token, an individual is free to create a website that is tied to this blockchain and accept STEEM as payment.

In other words, there is and will be people earning STEEM in many different ways.

So down the road when someone asks "what do you do", you can simply reply "I am a Steemian".

If that is not sufficient and the issue is pressed, you can say you stand naked in your front yard three times a day wearing only high heels and Mickey Mouse ears while singing Kumbaya.

I found that ends the conversation.

If you found this article informative, please upvote and resteem it.

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