Why should I haul trash?

[Bathtub37]

I was talking to a friend about Communism, and she posed me a question I could not answer.  Her question was what kind of incentive does a garbageman have to do his job if he can get paid the same doing practically any other job.  Wouldn't dirty or exhaustive jobs be the last one's anyone would want.  And what does this mean for Marx's assertion that work becomes the fulfillment of desires, rather than simply the means under Communism.  I read a response to a similar question, which said that their incentive is to do the job better and shorten their work week.  But that's what they tell teamsters who get paid a salary, and they still struggle.  Doesn't compelling a person to haul trash, even if you pay him $20/hr, lead to the same type of alienation that they suffer under capitalism because they don't really want to do it?  And what does this mean for a society where money, as Trotsky said, "exhausts it's historical purpose, and evaporates" (paraphrase)?  I read the thread on "Pay for different work", and it helped a little, but I don't think I am fully satisfied, and I don't think I have a very good answer for my friend.  Many thanks to anyone with a reply.

[JJM 777]

I don't believe that cashless society is a good idea to go for. Goods and services in the society will always be limited resources, our standard of living will never be unlimited on planet Earth, no matter how Socialistic we are. Equal rationing of the limited standard of living is easiest to do, when we have a concept like "money" for giving a simple approximate value for everything what a person may consume for private purposes in life. Many Socialists talk about a cashless society, but I don't believe in that idea, not on this planet.

Work is work, it is an unpleasant duty, it restricts your freedom and your free time. You must pledge to be exactly there and exactly at the agreed time, you lose 8 hours of your day. Alarm clock ringing when you would rather want to continue sleeping. Some works are interesting and comfortable, a sheer joy for the person who is doing the job. Maybe it is fun to be a book author or fashion photographer. But many (or possibly most) jobs will always a bit boring or unpleasant, a duty that you do because you need a salary. The night shift as taxi driver or paper factory worker.

My answer to your question is: you will always haul trash (or do the least boring job that you can find) because it is your duty to do some work in the society. An unpleasant duty. Work doesn't need to be fun, and many jobs never will be fun. Fortunately, people come in many sizes and shapes, and what is boring work in your opinion, might be a very nice job in someone else's opinion, who wants to have an easy job so that he doesn't need to think much or get stressed about anything. With such an attitude, and perhaps an IQ far below Einstein level, hauling trash can actually be a very pleasant job, the favourite choice of a person.