Exploitation
Published on Mar聽30, 2024, filed under politics, philosophy. (Share this post, e.g., on Mastodon or on聽Bluesky.)
What鈥檚 easiest to take advantage of and exploit?
Natural resources. They鈥檙e just there, defenseless, and can be extracted as the terrain allows it. (Even better when they regenerate.)
What鈥檚 next easiest?
Animals. Many can鈥檛 defend themselves, either, can鈥檛 talk, seem inferior, and can be captured, held in captivity, and force-reproduced, used, and killed with little to no limitations.
What鈥檚 next?
Dependent people. People whose basic needs aren鈥檛 met and people in precarious living situations are easy to extract labor from, while everyone鈥檚 less elastic needs and desires make it easier to extract wealth.
How can control over resources, animals, and people be justified, secured, and extended?
By the concept of property. If we didn鈥檛 allow natural resources to be owned, if we didn鈥檛 allow for animals to be owned, if we didn鈥檛 allow anything to be owned, it would seem hard to exploit anyone or anything, because without ownership, there can hardly be justification for exploitation. Exploitation would be easier to challenge, transform, or stop.
_ What鈥檚 the alternative? I鈥檓 not sure if this has been answered (this is my personal site, where I reserve the right to be ignorant鈥攁nd appreciate being corrected). If I were to attempt an answer, the insight that our own well-being is linked to everyone鈥檚 well-being as well as the notion of revokable stewardship look relevant and important.
About Me
I鈥檓 Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I鈥檓 an engineering lead, guerrilla philosopher, and indie publisher. I鈥檝e worked as a technical lead and engineering manager for companies you use every day (like Google) and companies you鈥檝e never heard of, I鈥檓 an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for O鈥橰eilly and Frontend Dogma.
I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also with respect to politics and philosophy. Here on meiert.com I talk about some of my experiences and perspectives. (Please share feedback: Interpret charitably, but do be critical.)