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0 pointsgrayclhn11y ago0 comments

Just a tip: you don't want to be one of the people building a pyramid. You may want to think of a non-enslavement-and-death example when you explain why somewhere might be a good place to work. I can just imagine the recruiter's pitch now...

0 comments

TeMPOraL11y ago

Why? That slave labour was used to build pyramids is a popular but unfounded belief. There is evidence suggesting that some pyramids were built by well-paid government contractors.

Also apparently American-type slavery was a historical abberation. A typical slave in the past was not unlike a salaried employee today. He was well-treated, earned good money for his services and was able to free himself after accumulating enough of it, which is not unlike the FU money many a startup founder wants to have.

[0] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_t...

[1] - http://slatestarcodex.com/Stuff/manumission.pdf

hueving11y ago

>free himself after accumulating enough of it

If you don't think enslavement to a particular person is worse than working now, you need a reality check.

TeMPOraL11y ago

Do I? I mind you, "enslavement" has bad connotations mostly thanks to United States, it wasn't that bad in the ancient past.

Also consider that technology sector is somewhat special in this regard. Your typical unskilled worker is pretty much a wage slave. Many a slave in the past (again, excluding US) was in much better situation than your average friendly neighbourhood supermarket clerk.

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duaneb11y ago

Not all slavery is chattel slavery.

nekopa11y ago

I thought it was generally accepted now that the pyramids weren't built by slaves.

balazsdavid98711y ago

I've cited pyramids as an example of what collaborative work can lead to. Of course it's not like slavery, but there's a lot of grinding going on even at Google, they just call it "passion for work".

snowwrestler11y ago

Ok but if everyone is designing pyramids, and no one is building them, then pyramids never get built. At some point anything big just requires a ton of hard human work to actually be created.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

TeMPOraL11y ago

Why? That slave labour was used to build pyramids is a popular but unfounded belief. There is evidence suggesting that some pyramids were built by well-paid government contractors.

[0] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_t...

[1] - http://slatestarcodex.com/Stuff/manumission.pdf

hueving11y ago

>free himself after accumulating enough of it

If you don't think enslavement to a particular person is worse than working now, you need a reality check.

TeMPOraL11y ago

Do I? I mind you, "enslavement" has bad connotations mostly thanks to United States, it wasn't that bad in the ancient past.

1 more reply

duaneb11y ago

Not all slavery is chattel slavery.

nekopa11y ago

I thought it was generally accepted now that the pyramids weren't built by slaves.

balazsdavid98711y ago

I've cited pyramids as an example of what collaborative work can lead to. Of course it's not like slavery, but there's a lot of grinding going on even at Google, they just call it "passion for work".

snowwrestler11y ago

Ok but if everyone is designing pyramids, and no one is building them, then pyramids never get built. At some point anything big just requires a ton of hard human work to actually be created.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse