Whatever you think of Karl Marx and his social theories, I am finding myself facing down something he spoke about, that being the alienation of the worker.
Marx criticized capitalism and the factory worker system by saying that the individual worker was not invested in their labor. That to reward a person with just a paycheck, was to alienate them from the production and their own pride in their work. His theory is much more complex than this, but you get the jist.
Recently I have been helping a friend with his farm. He is starting a cooperative, selling his produce to a small group of people who invest in his farm with a monthly fee. It is a pretty good deal, and a great way to get fresh, organic veggies. He offered us a share in his operation if we come and help him with his planting and general labor. This came at a perfect time given our current constraints on our grocery bill. Anyway, at first I dreaded the work, then it grew on me as I became more invested. Finally I came to relish the labor and enjoyed farming and teaching my family the importance of being that close to our food production. To show them the joy in caring for growing things. We all enjoyed the peace and contentment of rural life and labor. They were helping in their own little ways with an operation that is almost too much for so few people that do work there. I also saw a new found respect for me from my mother-in-law in watching me in my efforts, that is something that I have wished for a long time.
Then today, the carpet was pulled from beneath me... I was asked not to bring my family to the farm anymore because they annoy my friends wife. She is not comfortable with them around, and my kids distract his kids from their chores.
I can't argue with him about this, it is afterall their farm. But it pains me nonetheless. If I can't share this joy with my wife and kids, if their small contribution is not appreciated or wanted, then I am divorced from the joy of my labor, and I have no ownership of what I am accomplishing. To trudge off to work like a common day laborer and spend so much time away from my family, not letting them see what it is that I expend my strength and energy each day doing, to me is immoral and downright sad. Even though we live in a society where that is the norm, I have spent my life trying to avoid that existence, because frankly I find it wrong. It is only in the past 100 years that families began living this way, and I truly believe that it is not a healthy way for a family to exist.
I know the arguements against me. Why should my family be allowed to loiter in what is essentially a business? This of course is true, but uniquely American, and capitalist in nature. In a more perfect world, my whole family would be there to help out and become invested in their food production. But, in this world, in this system that alienates the worker from the fruits of their labor, I am relegated to the role of a peon farmworker. A position that drains the enthusiasm from me altogether. If they were somehow harmful or damaging to the operation then I can see their point of view. But, to reject them because their meer presence is an annoyance is asking far too much of me. Especially since others who come on a weekly basis bring their whole families as well. Am I being singled out for a reason I don't see?
Consider really what right does another person have to force me to restrict my family in such a way? Especially when my whole family is helping. We value property right so much in our society that we can hardly question his wife's authority to ask me to leave them behind. But, is it right? Am I a free man or am I not?!? I have about had my fill of people claiming lordship over me because of their possession.
When it boils down, my heart tells me that if you reject my family, then you reject me. So, like Karl Marx said, I am alienated from my labor and disposessed.
This of course comes at a time when the bulk of the labor is done. The planting is finished and all that remains is watering and light weeding. Honestly, I can't help but think that this order was made knowing that they can make due without my family's help. Such short sightedness since come the fall there is the harvest to worry about. Hopefully by then they will have found another peon.
