| So deliciously false that one is tempted to frame it. Of course, capitalism is about specialization, as much as anything else, and the need for skilled and semi- skilled labor would have driven up the price for all niches between the day- laborer and the upper- level executive. Even now, in the digital economy, the shortages created by sudden demands are making for very sweet packages for those willing to train in programming and the like. Even for those who are not as skilled, like the riveter, the dearth of people who can stand to work on high- rise buildings would have made some forms of construction exceptionally lucrative, without unionization. In the old pink- collar ghetto, having shorthand and being able to follow a dictaphone could get one an ample wage, and nowadays, while digitalization is reducing clerical staff, it is putting a premium on computer literacy, and goosing up wages for the remaining lower level staff. |
