B. Lorenzo Buckinchere
Aug 3, 2025
Preface:
As part of my power series, I thought now would be a rather fitting time to cover the topic of corporate serfdom. First of all, the word “serf,” not to be confused with “surf,” is an archaic expression for “serve.” It was more common during medieval times to refer to a peasant or a commoner.
Back then, servants were either domestic or field servants. They would pay to occupy their farmland by offering up the cream of the crop to their land lords during harvest, while keeping the rest for their families.
Barely having enough to get by, most of them lived in squalor, often having dirt floors in their cottages, and living among mice and filth. They would supplement their funds by barter trading in the market place during the day. But no matter what, they were always expected at church on a Sunday.
This practice continued throughout much of the dark ages, and there is a common misconception that serfdom ended during the renaissance.
Serfdom however, has continued through this day, but has taken on a different form. Modern serfdom has taken on a more corporate form, and has become so subtle that many people are of the delusion that they are free.
If you believe that you are free, you are just not at rock bottom. This week, I will be touching on the varying degrees of corporate serfdom, and where you might fit into all of this.
So without further ado, let’s begin.
Hard Homelessness:
This is the kind of homelessness where you are on the streets. If you are not living under a bridge, you are living behind a dumpster in some seedy alleyway. If you are not on drugs, you are surrounded by those who use, and if you are not strong willed, it won’t be long before they get you hooked.
Many people have chosen hard homelessness because they complain that the shelter staff are mean to them, and they don’t like being told what to do. Others are simply too far gone to qualify for a shelter. If you are in this situation for extended periods, it becomes really hard to break out of certain mindsets that you have adopted in order to survive. As a result of that, many people just sit in it, and succumb to it.
Convicted Felons:
Picture this! You have guaranteed permanent housing and three square meals a day, all paid for by the courtesy of the American taxpayer. And all you had to do in order to qualify was rob a bank. The only catch is that you are not free to go as you like. Now I don’t know about you, but now would be a damn good time to rethink the guaranteed clause in your permanent housing contract. But hey, at least you are not on the streets, right? Right?
Soft Homelessness:
This is the kind of homelessness where you are either in your car, or placed inside a shelter. These guys are mostly veterans with PTSD who were placed in shelters by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). At least you are free to come and go as you please.
On the other hand #VanLife is kinda cool, until the van breaks down in the middle of fucking summer that is.
Gig Economy:
If you are in this position, you are either a starving podcaster trying to become social media famous, or you drive for Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, or Doordash. You can also be multiples of these at once. Besides being homeless or in prison, you are at the bottom. But at least you have a phone and a car, and you don’t have some greedy corporate pig breathing down your neck forty hours a week. Let’s get that money!
Blue Collar (non-union):
If you are in this position, you are either a Security Guard, a Parking Lot Attendant, or you work inside a factory, a warehouse, or in fast food.
This is a great position to be in when you are between the ages of 18 and 21 while going through college, or fresh out of high school, and not quite knowing what to do with your life. Because you are not part of a labor union, employers tend to take advantage of you in so many ways.
One example of this is that they have you sign an “at will” employment contract stating that either you or the employer can end the relationship at any time for any or no reason.
In reality, it really only applies to them, because if you want to resign, they are going to ask you why. Oh, but them? They can just up and fire you without probable cause. You should never allow yourself to be in this position any longer than two years, three at the most.
Blue Collar (unionized):
If you are in this position, you are likely a railroad builder, or you work for your city’s sanitation department. Other occupations include; construction, EMT, police officers, firefighters, etc.
They usually hire veterans with a strong work ethic, and the benefits are great. You get medical, dental, vision, and a lifelong pension after about twenty or thirty years. Five years for the NYPD.
As you can see, many jobs in the public sector are unionized, and it is a great way to improve your lot. But it is difficult to get in because there tends to be a lot of nepotism going on behind the scenes.
Blue Collar (active duty):
This position is specifically Government Issued, mostly active duty military ops. It is an adventurous life. You get to travel the world at no cost to you, the benefits are rewarding, and it is literally the only occupation where you earn a tax-free salary.
There is but one cause for concern. You will likely come back home with PTSD and substance abuse issues. But even that is better than coming back home in a casket.
White Collar (clerical):
This is the same position as being a non-union blue collar worker, except that answering the phone and faxing over documents is now part of your job description.
These are the office clerks, the gophers (now called mailroom clerks), the call center operators, medical assistants, medical coders, data entry technicians, receptionists, etc. The benefit?
Wearing a corporate noose (necktie) to work for only ten bucks an hour. At least they give you a chair in an air conditioned office. Too bad you have to share the A/C remote with Karen from HR.
White Collar (professional):
If you are in this position, you are likely a college graduate, and are probably either a lawyer, doctor, journalist or engineer. This is the best position to be in if you are working for someone else in the private sector. This is also the beginning of the six figure salary range, which as I have explained two articles ago, is the beginning of capital. Very few people make it that far, so the head count is comfortably lower.
Government:
If you are in this position, you are either a part of the legislative, judiciary or executive arm of the government. This could be at the local, state, or federal level. Once you are at the government level, you are either running as a democrat, a republican, or an independent, and you must be voted into office by the people.
The difference between politics and government is that politicians run for office while the winning party forms the government who then goes on to write policy. Once you have been elected to office, you are no longer acting as a politician until it is time to seek re-election.
The Oligarchy:
Oligarchs are those who run the massive corporations, the global conglomerates. Think Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. Think Fox News and NBC. Think the heirs of Sam Walton. These guys are in the Billions if not the Hundreds of Billions (intergenerational wealth), plus they have the benefit of privacy for them not being politicians. In some countries, the oligarchs have even more power than the government, and help shape policy.
Entrepreneurship:
While the Oligarchs are the Alpha Males (money) and the Government are also Alpha (leadership), the Entrepreneur is the only one who is truly Sigma. These guys are in a class by themselves. They don’t play the game, they build their own table and kick anybody out who doesn’t belong there. They figure out what works for them, then use it to build a Hundred Million dollar a year empire by solving problems for other people.
Take me for example. While growing up, my father always used to criticize me for not reading more often. But the reason I didn’t like to read was because I had ADHD, and so reading for me was kind of a useless chore. So when I eventually became an author, I built a successful publishing business around rich, dialogue-based short stories that are specifically geared towards readers with ADHD. I solved a problem for others that I wish someone could have solved for me years ago.
This is the spirit of entrepreneurship. Ignoring the cookie-cutter advice, finding what works, and then making it work. Where would we be today if Henry Ford didn’t go to Detroit? Or if the Wright Brothers had accepted the cookie-cutter answer that, “if god wanted man to fly, he would have given him wings?” For this reason, the entrepreneur is neither above, nor below the others in the hierarchy, he is truly in class by himself.
Conclusion:
So what is your current station in the hierarchy? Do you intend to move up their ladder, or build your own? How long do you think it will take for you to change your lot in life, and what are some of the strategies you think it will take to get there? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Thanks for reading.
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