Marx’s main point, which is well taken, is that the organizational principle for society evolved from use-value, to exchange-value, to surplus-value. This was a dialectic between labor and capital. It was a dialog Marx had with the contemporary theory of the 1800s that society was based on work and labor.

In theories of the last 100 years the main point has been that society is organized around ‘Power’. ( Think Nietzsche and Foucault.) Capitalism is the main power structure of society. Analysis does not revolve around ‘labor’ but around production and consumption found in capitalist society. Labor is victimized by industrialists who control production.

My point, is that current society is organized around abstract ‘production’ and the creation of ‘social machines’ to facilitate more and more production. Labor is unimportant and is minimized in all ways possible to facilitate more production. From encouraging illegal immigration to keep wages down, to creating ‘AI’ to eliminate skilled labor.

I find talking about ‘labor’ is perhaps a Romantic longing for the 1800s and pre-industrial production.