this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Generally the idea is that both parties need to benefit from any transaction if it is voluntary.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

When you have to eat and the means to feed ourselves is held by few, no transaction is voluntary.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Of course it's voluntary. You choose what you buy, when you do it, how much and from whom.

If someone held you on gunpoint and told you to buy their product, that would be involuntary.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can choose what, when, how much, and from whom, but you are still are still forced to do so. Choosing which person puts me at gunpoint doesn't make it voluntary

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can also feed yourself by growing food or hunting. Neither of those are banned, just more inconvenient and you probably have some other skills to sell and buy food instead

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I can only do so on land that I purchased. Or on someone else's land I purchased the right to do so on

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Then do that, or choose not to.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

If I choose not to I die. I can buy the food from someone who already has it, I can buy the right to make my own food, or I can choose to starve to death

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That costs money. I have to buy the right to hunt on public land or I go to prison for poaching

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Can I interest you in CWA (Crackers With Attitude)'s Fuck The DNR?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You are forced to buy food, shelter, healthcare, a vehicle (US). You are forced therefore to have a job to pay for these things. Employers know this, and suppress wages with those together, the proverbial gun.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Generally speaking, slavery is also benefitial to both parties, you're either a slave out you get killed. While technically voluntary (because a slave can still choose stand up to the oppressor, even if it's guaranteed to fail) we don't consider slavery voluntary. We can say that in this day and age our work is voluntary, but it's debatable.

You can look to this year how "voluntary" it is when the Hollywood execs literally said they will wait for the protesters to starve so they'd get back to work. When there's such a severe power dynamic it becomes almost no different to slavery, because you, individually, can be effectively forced back to work. The only reason Hollywood protests have any chance to have impact is because they collectively oppose the oppression. The power dynamic is being balanced (or dipped in the favor of labor) by sheer number of protestors / workers.