Does free market capitalism absolutely require an exploited class of people to suceed?

[brucec83]

No.

The Marxist concept of Surplus Value might indicate that is the case, since it presupposes that the entrepreneurial value in organizing production is not worth more than the lowest cost of the labor product. But I have always felt that whether someone is "exploited" or not is largely a subjective determination. In some countries, you can hire a maid for $100 a month and she'll think she is ripping you off. In others, $100 a day will bring complaints.

Doesn't a salaried CEO earning a million a year work more hours than a minimum wage burger chef? If there are no stock options involved, technically, they are both members of the working class. So who is more exploited?