Yes, you understand me here. I’m not (yet?) in the camp that we humans have “mostly” lost sight of our basic goals, but I do feel we are on a slippery slope in that regard. Certainly many people feel “used” by employers/ institutions in ways that are disconnected with their values. People with more job options feel less this way, because they choose jobs that don’t feel like that, but I think we are a minority in having that choice.
I think this is an indication of the system serving some people (e.g. capitalists, managers, high-skilled labor) better than others (e.g. the median line worker). That’s a really important and common complaint with the existing economic order, but I don’t really see how it indicates a Pareto improvement or is related to the central thesis of your post about firms failing to help their shareholders.
(In general wage labor is supposed to benefit you by giving you money, and then the question is whether the stuff you spend money on benefits you.))
I think this is an indication of the system serving some people (e.g. capitalists, managers, high-skilled labor) better than others (e.g. the median line worker). That’s a really important and common complaint with the existing economic order, but I don’t really see how it indicates a Pareto improvement or is related to the central thesis of your post about firms failing to help their shareholders.
(In general wage labor is supposed to benefit you by giving you money, and then the question is whether the stuff you spend money on benefits you.))