cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3190259
To me they’re like mere servants of the State, like Lenin talked about in “2. What is to Replace the Smashed State Machine?” in his writing “The State and Revolution”
Under Capitalism, they are its privileged knights that try to deflect and control, if not defend directly its image as “the only option”, who have their incentive in doing so, with their class status stake being in their duty to shepherd the means of production and its resulting benefits
However, they don’t own the means of production, as they merely manage it for the landholding, industrialist, and financier capitalists
On the other hand, under Socialism, while its privileges will be probably be done away, the PM class on its own would innovated upon, for their new duty of overseeing, managing, and reporting the collectivized cooperatives and state-owned enterprises…
Until the final stage of Communism arrives, I think they’re pretty handy
I say this, because I hear such disgusted sentiment in Hexbear against them
Note: I know a bit about the bazingo techbro culture that the PMC is associated with, please don’t criticize them solely on those vibes…
Best materialist definition of PMC I can come up with is a wage laborer who makes enough that by saving money they can realistically see a path to joining the capitalist class within their working lifetime. You see a lot of these types try starting a company or moving into real estate in their mid-30s.
It’s an interesting point but even then not all PMC choose to join the capitalist class even if they have the means to do so. That’s why i overall hate the concept of PMC its hard to pin down a real definition that isn’t just pure opinion.
Im my head maybe a correlation between relative wages earned and opposition to organisation can be made ignoring the role but even then that doesn’t work for piss poor managers who also oppose organisation.
I think class traitor works just fine as a term for someone in the working class who actively opposes action that benefits the working class.
Wait a minute… I’m a shitposter what am i doing? PMC? More like POO MC amirite?
I think that when people’s needs are met and they simultaneously don’t feel overworked they often become
This class, although poorly defined, are usually status quo warriors because they seem to at least understand that the status quo is comfortable to them. Their aim becomes to oppose anything that might disrupt that comfort.
That’s not really what the term “PMC” means, what you’re describing is closer to “labor aristocrat”. Professional-Managerial Class actually refers to a type of labor being done, not the level of compensation. If you randomly had a barista that was making insanely good money for some odd reason they wouldn’t suddenly be a PMC.
Okay but your counterexample literally doesn’t ever happen???
I actually knew a woman who was a personal barista for private rich people events and she made nearly 6 figures. Is she a PMC?
No, they’re shepherds/caretakers of capital, they manage it for the true owners, and due to their owners’ incentives, they have a material stake for it under Capitalism
That’s more accurate definition///
Maybe accurate, not precise. You could argue endlessly about who counts as a shepherd or caretaker of capital, but can put an actual numerical value on the definition you’re replying to. Probably something like $150k/year.