Between Breaking Bones and Breaking People:
The Reality of Work in the Modern Age
Every human being, at the very least, has three primary needs clothing, shelter, and food that must be fulfilled, and for that reason, humans work. From the first man to today, countless jobs have been created some making perfect sense, others bordering on absurdity. But all share the same goal: survival. In our ever-evolving world, work has shifted from back-breaking effort to things as easy as a click. In the past, especially for manual laborers coolies, for example work demanded immense effort, while their wages were barely enough. Often, they were even abused by their masters. It’s no surprise that such work became a terrifying specter to many.
Yet coolies weren’t the only workers. There were also clerks who recorded the movement of people and goods, and sycophants who spent their days licking the boots of their lords. Most of them came from the elite classes or the wealthy, who wouldn’t blink if they lost a mere 5,000 rupiah. Today, things aren’t that different. The application may have changed, the methods may have shifted, but the essence remains. There are still laborers, still day workers, still people with odd jobs haunted daily by the ghost of debt. They live a double dilemma on one hand, they must fill their grumbling stomachs; on the other, they must face the debts piling up on their backs. When the due date comes, they are visited by collectors men built like tanks who don’t hesitate to hurt or destroy. And yet, those debt collectors are just workers too, earning a living the only way they know how. If they get paid, they go home. If not? They’ll make sure someone else is sent back to God.
Let’s not forget the sellers those who hawk fruits, goods, meals, or even their own bodies. We often think they’re better off than we are, these merchants who make money off our impulsive spending. But have we ever thought where their capital comes from? Is it truly spare money or borrowed? The rise of AI brings a new kind of imbalance. It’s the law of nature: adapt or be discarded. Not everyone understands this change, and not everyone has access to the necessary devices. Those sticking to conventional methods are mocked by those who tinker with screens while their bank accounts grow day by day.
But who’s to blame? And should anyone be blamed at all? Perhaps not. Limitations exist, yes but that doesn’t mean we are powerless. There are still doors to knock on, still cracks in the wall, still chances to catch up. If we become just a bit smarter, perhaps we, too, can level the playing field.
As a closing thought, let us reflect, truly reflect. Let us look inward, examine our work, our lives and above all, the nation we claim to love.
Takeo Nao