For a time, the movement recommended that inspirited young people should, rather than work for charities, get jobs in finance and donate their income.
The problem is in the assumption that paid corporate work has zero social value. This is untrue. It has negative social value. If a rich person or a corporation that operates on rich peoples' behalf is paying you to do something, the odds are high that its total social value is negative, especially because we live within a moribund economic system that turns to extreme violence--fascism is capitalism in decay--whenever it hits the skids and people start to question it.
This is wrong. Trading is positive sum. When companies trade with employees to buy labor or trade with consumers to sell goods, all parties are better off from the interaction — otherwise they would not trade.
Sure, but that's not the only thing involved in finance. There's also regulatory capture, privatizing profits, and socializing losses
It's certainly plausible that the value of many jobs is negative, and even if you give away your entire salary, it could come out negative for society.
This whole idea is also out of touch with reality and lacking in common sense, because people who aren't interested in finance aren't likely to be competitive in it.
The problem is in the assumption that paid corporate work has zero social value. This is untrue. It has negative social value. If a rich person or a corporation that operates on rich peoples' behalf is paying you to do something, the odds are high that its total social value is negative, especially because we live within a moribund economic system that turns to extreme violence--fascism is capitalism in decay--whenever it hits the skids and people start to question it.