Ah yes, just what the working class desperately needs, a gatekeeper.
Comment on The proletarianization of tech workers
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Calling google workers proletariat is out of touch and borderline insulting to real working class.
Monthly salary for a junior at google is what a “real” proletarian do in a full year, with addition of pension, stock options, benefits and bonuses
notacuban@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I am not a gate keeper. I work in an unionized company in fintech. But I also recognize that calling me “proletarian” is detrimental for battles of real proletariat. Because I have a better salary of a medical doctor with a 5th of the stress. And I don’t make near google salary. I have former colleagues who went to google… They are not absolutely struggling. They need to unionize? Surely. But let’s keep it real, use words properly, because there are people in the current economy who are struggling. Proletariat means that the only “capital” owned by someone is their children. It evolved to mean working class, where only capital is ability to do a work.
Google engineers have real capital invested in stock market and pension funds, a great salary and benefits. They need to unionize only to fight back to mass lay offs. Other than that they are doing fine.
MikuNPC@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I work in tech, not Google but I am compensated similarly. The reason you are getting my downvotes is because you’re missing the point. We worked our asses off to get where we are only to say we’re “not struggling” anymore and have early retirement plans in place because we were thoughtful in our career choices and personal budget. That’s a lot different from someone who had a retirement plan set from birth.
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Than read again my comment. You are not proletariat. I am not proletariat. A manager at your bank is not proletariat. A doctor is not proletariat.
I grew up in one of the poorer place in Europe. To study I had to live in literally 2 of the worst ghettos of UK.
Anyone who call google workers proletariat is as out of touch as a wall street ceo.
And I am surprised how lemmy can be this out of touch with the real word
Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 9 months ago
Ah, the “true Scotchman” fallacy.
I guess it’s your gut deciding who’s a “real” worker?
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The all piece is a guy who said that some people were not proletariat and now they are. Your gut is not better than mine clearly.
Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 months ago
Dog the shadeholders who let google pay you that high wage to convince people to join this profession also own the fucking overpriced housing and grocery stores that take it riiiight back.
darq@kbin.social 9 months ago
The line dividing working class from owning class is not their monthly salary. It's their relationship to capital. Do they work for their living, or do they own for their living?
_number8_@lemmy.world 9 months ago
same reason why being an athlete sucks – even though you’re making insane sums, the guys at the top are making far more than that, without putting their body on the line in any way whatsoever, indefinitely [whereas most players retire in their 30s, if they’re lucky enough to have that long of a career]
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Google engineers have capital. Enough to start their start up if needed. They simply decide that living as googler is easier and more convenient
darq@kbin.social 9 months ago
As long as their livelihood is dependent on labouring, they're working class. You should show some solidarity, rather than trying to divide the working class.
Zeth0s@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Even bourgeois class work. Even aristocrats… CEOs work.
Working is not what identity proletariat.
I show solidarity, I have former colleagues working at google. They have all my solidarity, but they are not proletariat.
An average google engineer have more capital than most CEOs around the world.
They need to unionize, but they are not proletariat. My company is unionized, and we are not proletariat. There are unionized people owning multiple porsches. They are not proletariat. They simply find easier to live out of a good salary instead of the stress of having their own company
huginn@feddit.it 9 months ago
I had spent 6 years fastidiously saving to have 20k in investments when I got hired by Google.
I was laid off in the wave 9 months later.
So no: I didn’t (and don’t) have enough money to just start my own company.
It’s workers of the world unite not workers of the world only allow people who match your purity test. If you’re not with us, you’re part of the problem.
SCB@lemmy.world 9 months ago
He said without a trace of irony.
nodsocket@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Even the CEO is working class by that definition.
Not_mikey@lemmy.world 9 months ago
They are petit bourgeoisie, they work for a living but their interests are aligned with capital as they’re hired by the owners to extract as much surplus labor as they can and will often get bonuses tied to how well they do that, they’re the overseer.
Software developers work and contribute to the company, they are the ones whose surplus labor is being extracted. They may get a larger chunk of the value they create but they don’t get all of it. They are still in class conflict with the owners to get all the value they create. They’re house slaves, treated better but still fundamentally against the owner.
nodsocket@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Would you say that the only people who are not proletariat are those who are “financially independent” in the sense that they don’t need to work for an income?
Bye@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Some. But at firms of even modest size, though, a CEO receives ownership of capital, not just salary, as compensation.
nodsocket@lemmy.world 9 months ago
So do plenty of mid level engineers at Google.
Shadywack@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Difference in stock options as compensation for executives vs managers or the entire middle management layer is beyond insane. Like exponentially more.