"Airbnb is just like Uber. It's Desperation Capitalism"

[Warren DeMontague]

61. We're talking about two specific gigs, or more precisely potential revenue making situations;

uber, and airbnb.

airbnb, for one, is -like I said upthread- mostly going to involve people who have a nice home or apartment, nice enough that they can take some space from it and offer it as an attractive place for travelers to stay. That, to me, sounds less like a "adequate replacement for good jobs" situation, and more like the "extra income" demographic.

As for uber, again- like I said, I know some people who are creative freelance writer/author types, who generally mine human urban experience for stories AND thrive on meeting people, and certainly I suspect they are supplementing their income by driving for uber on whatever schedule they use, not depending on it as a sole job.

Again, not saying that's "good" or "bad" in the larger scheme of things, but they are liking it. That's what I've seen.

I don't know if the "sharing economy" has ever claimed or pretended to be "an adequate replacement for good jobs". And this article is making a misguided argument, in that regard- if "the sharing economy" wasn't there, it's not like the good jobs would be.

The lack of good, solid, 9 to 5 jobs with livable wages and the like is a separate issue, as far as I can see. What uber and airbnb are doing is shaking up industries that fail to meet consumer needs adequately, and in the process probably providing some extra income to people who are situated to provide those services. I doubt too many people are being "driven" to become airbnb hosts by "desperation", for one. People are driven to work a 2nd job at the minimart or become walmart greeters by desperation, but that is a different story.