I wrote this on April 7th, 2023

"If I ask myself what would today be the most radical demand to make upon our own system—that demand which could not be fulfilled or satisfied without transforming the system beyond recognition, and which would at once usher in a society structurally distinct from this one in every conceivable way, from the psychological to the sociological, from the cultural to the political—it would be the demand for full employment, universal full employment around the globe. As the economic apologists for the system today have tirelessly instructed us, capitalism cannot flourish under full employment; it requires a reserve army of the unemployed in order to function and to avoid inflation."

--Frederic Jameson, "The Politics of Utopia" (January 2004)

Oh, Frederic, your imagination betrays your own implicit ideological handcuffs, your own enslavement to the work ethic and all the other demands of your professional class.

The most radical demand would be universal basic income, regardless of employment. A promise to every human being that they will live above the poverty line with no work requirement. If you want more than the basic income, then choose to work, but don't worry we got you.

Sure, capitalism requires a reserve army of the unemployed. But this is one step removed. Take the next step: capitalism requires a reserve army of the impoverished.

Capitalism says: "You don't want to become impoverished, or to remain stuck in poverty, do you? Then transform yourself into a gainfully employed worker. You don't want to end your days in poverty, do you? Then invest your retirement savings in the stock market (which always rises). You don't want your country to fall into mass poverty, do you? Then hold true to the market system (which always provides)."

Capitalism needs, not only the spectre of poverty, but the reality of poverty, to motivate people to work as part of the labor market. Under capitalism, you only have yourself to blame for poverty. It's not capitalism's fault for not sharing its wealth, it is your fault for not educating yourself and working hard enough.

-----

Universal full employment is one of the promises of managerial socialism, that the government will provide for your needs in return for your obedience to your state managers.

Universal basic income provides for your needs, period. No strings attached, no questions asked. It rips up not just the social contract, but rips up the idea of a social contract.

In a contract, you agree to do something for me, and I agree to do something for you. You agree to paint my house, I agree to pay you an agreed sum. The idea of a social contract is that the state agrees to do something for you, and you agree to do something for the state.

The most radical demand to make upon our system, is that the system should work for us, not that the system should allow us to work for the system.