In 2025 and beyond it is my sincere hope that we stop lauding articles that merely present problems without providing any substantive thoughts on how to solve them.
This article is dishonest in using a definition of work that excludes the vast majority of work people have done over history. The sexist view that women never work because watching kids, making clothing, washing clothing, preparing meals (all traditional things women did in various societies) was not real work, while the things men did (hunting, fishing) was real work.
Couldn't agree more... all this work/labor hairsplitting makes no sense.
This is arguing that there is no difference between being a slave and being a free human because both have to prepare food, chop wood, wash dishes.
"I own a house, I will put the bins out because I want my house to be rat-free and smell nice" is fundamentally different from "my master orders me to put the bins out and if I don't I will be punished" and from "my employer orders me to put the bins out and if I don't I will become unemployed, homeless, unable to get food, so I am coerced to do it and have no choice".
You are arguing that the choice is meaningless because labour and work and employment are all the same, and the author is arguing that the choice is everything.
But in terms of steps, yes the problem of capitalist exploitation is solvable. Of course the 1% don't really want that solution which is why they try so hard to perpetuate the myths the author takes on.
Which is to say I can't quote their definition, but it was clearly leading to the sexist one. (elsewhere people are using a labor vs work distinction which I'm going to contend comes from the same sexism and isn't a useful distinction)
Also to stay authentic with our noble mission to only talk about things we have practical actions to move to, I would suggest that we request deletion of some Wikipedia articles such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_m...
"Unfortunately there is so much original sin in us all that we find evil rather attractive. To devastate is easier and more spectacular than to create. We like to have the pants scared off us by visions of cosmic destruction. To sit down in a dull room and compose the Missa Solemis or The Anatomy of the Melancholy does not make headlines or news flashes."
All the anti-capitalist doom lit out there has its place, but all of the adults all agree that its intellectually dishonest. This article is just calling out something with no attempt to improve or offer a way forward (thank you to the parent comment for calling this out). Its even ignoring that there are many people who actually enjoy the state of affairs.