BOA meant DOA

Should anyone find this event surprising? No, they should not. Moritz Erhardt was a commodity. He was nearly fungible. Bank of America could easily find someone to replace him if it had wanted to do so. As such, Erhardt needed to prove his worth to his current and any future employer, doing so while knowing that the job market has been and will remain tight. There ought to be a law, and there is such a law when the hyper-exploited laborer is a medical resident working in the state of New York. Known as the Libby Zion Law. Ms. Zion died when severely overworked medical residents blundered into prescribing medicine for her that would prove fatal. Nationally, medical resident’s hours are now capped, albeit at an astonishing 80 hours per week! There is yet no federal law addressing this matter. There are, however, compelling personal and socio-economic causes which produce deaths like Mr. Erhardt’s. The problem, of course, is an intrinsic feature of capitalism. A commodity like Mr. Erhardt has monetary value only insofar as it produces for those who employ it. Despite his impressive credentials, Mr. Erhardt would soon need a job. He gave his life to secure a good one.

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