I also think of Heidegger’s notion of “standing reserve” along these lines.

The key for Weil, a key she finds in Marx, is, “the degrading division of labour into intellectual and manual labor.” This division occurs as much now as it did then, as much with white collar as with blue collar labor. The division is not between work that uses ones whole body vs. work that uses ones mind and fingers. The division is between those who plan and those you work. It’s a division between those who design and manage and those who carry out the laborious functions of work… without input into the how or the why of what they do. I think that both Weil and Marx have much to say to today’s workforce, but let us not forget that while we in the affluent sectors of the globe may have traded in our hammers and cycles for keyboards and mice, there are still those out there who mine our resources, make our clothes, and pick our food. So though the the nature of the industry we see and aspire to has become white collar this means neither that menial blue collar labor has ceased to exist nor that white collar industry is beyond the scope of a Marxist critique.

In regards to the former of these two points, check out Jamie Smith’s most recent post: http://forsclavigera.blogspot.com/

nah but seriously, nice work taking rubin to task over at halden’s.. a thing of beauty.

I think I might take you up on your offer.

You’re so nice!