large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb_14
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb
English
6138
All the more as these machines would most certainly be very much improved when it was no longer a question as to whether their improvement would "pay" the individual, but rather whether it would benefit the community. ALL THE MORE AS THESE MACHINES WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE VERY MUCH IMPROVED WHEN IT WAS NO LONGER A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THEIR IMPROVEMENT WOULD PAY THE INDIVIDUAL BUT RATHER WHETHER IT WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY
 labour long hours. Our epoch has invented machines which would have appeared wild dreams to the men of past ages, and of those machines we have as yet _made no use_. They are called “labour-saving” machines—a commonly used phrase which implies what we expect of them; but we do not get what we expect. What they really do is to reduce the skilled labourer to the ranks of the unskilled, to increase the number of the “reserve army of labour”—that is, to increase the precariousness of life among the workers and to intensify the labour of those who serve the machines (as slaves their masters). All this they do by the way, while they pile up the profits of the employers of labour, or force them to expend those profits in bitter commercial war with each other. In a true society these miracles of ingenuity would be for the first time used for minimizing the amount of time spent in unattractive labour, which by their means might be so reduced as to be but a very light burden on each individual.  BUT NOT BY COMPULSION TO LABOR LONG HOURS OUR REPOCH HAS INVENTED MACHINES WHICH WOULD HAVE APPEARED WILD DREAMS TO THE MEN OF PAST AGES AND OF THOSE MACHINES WE HAVE AS YET MADE NO USE THEY ARE CALLED LABOR SAVING MACHINES A COMMONLY USED PHRASE WHICH IMPLIES WHAT WE EXPECT OF THEM BUT WE DO NOT GET WHAT WE EXPECT WHAT THEY REALLY DO IS TO REDUCE THE SKILLED LABORER TO THE RANKS OF THE UNSKILLED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF THE RESERVE ARMY OF LABOR THAT IS TO INCREASE THE PRECARIOUSNESS OF LIFE AMONG THE WORKERS AND TO INTENSIFY THE LABOUR OF THOSE WHO SERVE THE MACHINES AS SLAVES THEIR MASTERS ALL THIS THEY DO BY THE WAY WHILE THEY PILE UP THE PROFITS OF THE EMPLOYERS OF LABOR OR FORCE THEM TO EXPEND THOSE PROFITS IN BITTER COMMERCIAL WAR WITH EACH OTHER IN A TRUE SOCIETY THESE MIRACLES OF INGENUITY WOULD BE FOR THE FIRST TIME USED FOR MINIMIZING THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN UNATTRACTIVE LABOUR WHICH BY THEIR MEANS MIGHT BE SO REDUCED AS TO BE BUT A VERY LIGHT BURDEN ON EACH INDIVIDUAL
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb.flac