Re: THE URBAN MINER, AN EXO-INDUSTRIAL PROLETARIAN INDEPENDENT WORKER

"Mark Baugher" <[email protected]> Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:40:01 -0700
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> On Jul 29, 2026, at 07:19, John A Imani via groups.io <johnaimani3=3Dgmai=
[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> THE URBAN MINER, AN EXO-INDUSTRIAL
> PROLETARIAN INDEPENDENT WORKER

Thanks John, I enjoyed reading your take on a type of work that is ubiquito=
us in our cities today. I can send you some editorial comments, nits, in a =
private email. I have two comments on your essay.

1. Deskilling is part of the process that no doubt leads some people into u=
rban mining. I thought of it when you mentioned health care and how there h=
as been a proliferation of "assistant" positions such as doctors assistant,=
 anesthesiologist assistant, nurses assistant, etc. as a means of reducing =
the number of trained, credentialed workers and increase the number of less=
 skilled and lower-paid people.

2. Are urban miners proletarians that produce surplus value? I stopped on t=
his since they work for themselves and sell their product at market rate. B=
ut if we think of the collection centers as employers, then they are produc=
ing surplus value to the centers.

Mark



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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=
=3Dus-ascii"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-=
mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginning=
OfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On Jul 29, 2026, at 07:1=
9, John A Imani via groups.io &lt;[email protected]&gt; wro=
te:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div><div style=3D"te=
xt-align: center;"><p class=3D"western" style=3D"margin-bottom: 0in; line-h=
eight: 100%; margin-right: 0.39in; margin-left: 0.39in; border-top: none; b=
order-bottom: none; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; border-right: none; pad=
ding: 0in 0in 0in 0.01in;" align=3D"center"><strong>THE URBAN MINER, AN EXO=
-INDUSTRIAL </strong></p>
<blockquote class=3D"western" style=3D"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0=
in; line-height: 100%; border-top: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: =
1px solid #cccccc; border-right: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0.01in;"><stron=
g>PROLETARIAN INDEPENDENT WORKER</strong></blockquote>
</div>
</div></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Thanks John, I enjoyed reading your=
 take on a type of work that is ubiquitous in our cities today. I can send =
you some editorial comments, nits, in a private email. I have two comments =
on your essay.</div><div><br></div><div>1. Deskilling is part of the proces=
s that no doubt leads some people into urban mining. I thought of it when y=
ou mentioned health care and how there has been a proliferation of "assista=
nt" positions such as doctors assistant, anesthesiologist assistant, nurses=
 assistant, etc. as a means of reducing the number of trained, credentialed=
 workers and increase the number of less skilled and lower-paid people.</di=
v><div><br></div><div>2. Are urban miners proletarians that produce surplus=
 value? I stopped on this since they work for themselves and sell their pro=
duct at market rate. But if we think of the collection centers as employers=
, then they are producing surplus value to the centers.</div><div><br></div=
><div>Mark</div><br></body></html>

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