I let you know a little while ago that I’ve started posting as a Substack writer. Substack is for obsessive writers (like me). I’ve called my Substack SELF-EMPLOYED AREN’T STUPID!
Substack gives me a platform to write about self-employed issues, ideas, concepts and thoughts that complement what we do at Self-Employed Australia.
So here are some thoughts that might interest you from SELF-EMPLOYED AREN’T STUPID!
A tale of 2 croissants
I explain that:
“In my home city of Melbourne there’s a near-inner-city suburb that’s rapidly changed from working-class to ‘woke-well-to-do’ class. At the outer edge of the suburb there’s one street that seems to divide the two classes. On the working-class side of the street is a popular bakery run by a Vietnamese family. Not quite half a kilometre away (in the woke-well-to-do section), is another bakery.
The Vietnamese bakery sells croissants for $4.00.
The woke-well-to-do bakery sells croissants for $6.50.”
A serious look at being a ‘little bit pregnant’
This article looks at the labour academic argument that self-employed people can be a ‘little bit an employee’. I explain that:
For a long time, Australian unions, labour academics and their political fellow travellers have sought to cut away at the right of people to earn their income through the commercial contract. The Albanese government has committed to doing this later in 2023.
And explain the history and thinking around this idea.
Independence and the Death of Employment
You may not be aware that I published a book on this in 2008. I’ve decided to make this available through Substack in serialised, chapter format. I’ll progressively release chapters. In this first release I provide the book’s Introduction. In it I quote Roman Emperor Caligula who stated:
“Bear in mind that I can treat anyone exactly as I please”. That’s real power.
The modern employment contract is a contract of control and power, of one party over another. Few realise this. And much of my (obsessive) journey is to argue against such power and control.
As you are a subscriber to, or member of, Self-Employed Australia, you’ve become part of, or maybe are committed to, the campaign to defend self-employment—that is, escaping the control and power over you that comes with ‘employment’.
I invite you to subscribe to my Substack SELF-EMPLOYED AREN’T STUPID! blog and join me on the further development of this journey.