Currently, there is a visible conflict between workers and employers that exemplifies everything that is wrong with the capitalist view of human nature and the tendency of all problems caused by capitalism to be blamed on the working class. One of the best and most tangible aspects of America's COVID response to American workers has been the increase in unemployment insurance. This is obviously a good thing, especially because being paid minimum wage is not worth risking your life to work during a pandemic. Now, however, many are trying to claim that it is a problem, because unemployment benefits have risen higher than current wages and benefits at many restaurants and similar businesses. The issue presented is that people would rather sit at home and collect unemployment instead of working, and the culprit presented is, of course, the greedy working class who wants nothing more than to be paid for doing nothing.
This current situation shows so much about what is wrong with the capitalist mindset and how capitalism treats workers. While the capitalist's desire to keep wages low and make more money is portrayed as being "good business", the worker's desire to survive is viewed as selfish and socially irresponsible. Republican lawmakers have tried to end the unemployment benefits, saying that they are causing people to not work, thus hurting the economy. This entire view is dehumanizing and treats workers and their labor exactly how capitalism demands: as commodities. Not as human beings who need to be fairly compensated and allowed to live comfortable lives, but as tools for profit creation. Rather than businesses raising their wages to allow workers to live in safety and comfort, they shame them for making the decision that is best for their wellbeing.
Just recently, Biden's Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, said that "Workers are not permitted to refuse suitable work and continue to receive benefits." Now, what constitutes suitable work? In my view, a job that costs less than unemployment cannot possibly be called suitable. A job in which you are overworked and put at risk and not being properly compensated is not "suitable". The expectation is for the worker to forego benefits and take less than they are worth, rather than for the business to pay for the work that it desires.
Businesses aren't expected to pay people what their labor is worth.
Workers are expected to work for anyone who will pay them anything.
This is obviously a problem caused by capitalism. As profit is the driving force of the entire system, business owners are incentivized to decrease costs any way that they can. Profit, as Marx showed, comes from the capitalist paying workers less than their labor created. This is the fundamental nature of what capitalism is and how it works. There is no reason for workers to be treated like human beings. There is no reason for them to be paid justly. There is absolutely no moral compass at all built into the system. All that matters is profit, and whatever yields the most profit is whatever must be done.
As this is a problem with capitalism, it is obviously not the fault of the workers. However, this, like every single problem under capitalism, is blamed on the working class. Rather than admitting that the entire system is predicated on exploitation, the ruling class must instead put blame on individual actors. It's the fault of "a few businessmen". It's because "people just don't want to work". This happens with every single issue. Is climate change the fault of the giant companies that use fossil fuels and dump plastic into the ocean? No, it's because people have cars. Is poverty the fault of the capitalist system? Of course not, people just don't work hard enough. Capitalism is obviously a meritocracy, so, well, you just must not deserve to live comfortably. This is how capitalism functions. This is not a flaw in the system, this is the system. For these problems to go away, we need more than short-term reforms (although those can be helpful), we need the abolition of the capitalist system and order.
This is also very revealing about the capitalist concept of what "human nature" is. A common (and ridiculous) anti-Communist argument is the "human nature" argument. "Communism looks good in theory, but people are just too greedy so no it couldn't happen actually read Animal Farm", or something of the sort. The idea is that people are just selfish and greedy and only care about themselves, not a collective. While, obviously, selfishness is a part of human nature, it is nonsense to claim that that's the main thing. Humanity has always desired to live in groups, to survive as a whole, to help out others. This is also human nature. In the words of Andrew Collier, "To look at people in capitalist society and conclude that human nature is egoism, is like looking at people in a factory where pollution is destroying their lungs and saying that it is human nature to cough."
Now, what does this have to do with this particular issue? Well, part of the "human nature" argument is that people wouldn't work if they didn't have to in order to survive. Now, obviously, there are some jobs that nobody would do if they didn't have to, but the premise of this argument is completely flawed. People have always worked, and there are motives beyond those of profit. People want to contribute to society, people want to feel useful, people want to grow and prosper. What people don't want to do is give up good benefits so that they can work for less money during a pandemic. This situation doesn't show workers being too greedy and lazy to work, it shows business owners being too greedy to pay them what they are worth.
Capitalism creates problems and then blames them on the working class. This is always what it has done, and what it will continue to do if it is allowed to.
Don't be convinced by any of the lies that are being told. Businesses are not closed because "nobody wants to work", but because of the greed of the capitalist class.
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