This is a good piece, and it describes well your quiet rage at Capitalism. Those of us who have felt this way for years are relieved that a lot of people are, at last, noticing what an evil system Capitalism is. Like all systems and empires, it has an end date and we’re probably in that period now. Things absolutely will be better and different soon enough, because people have just had enough. I honestly think that it’s youngsters like Greta Thunberg and her peers who will move the planet into a better place. I’m glad that I was alway ne of the opposers, but it still feel profoundly unfair for us to dump all our crap onto kids and say: “Here you are. Now clean this up!” I think that they will, though, because life can’t goon unless there is a massive change.
> Hooray, you say! Exactly what I’ve been saying! No more work!
> Except… why, exactly, would the elites pay us to not produce anything? They hardly pay us anything when we do produce things for them. There are a lot of ideas here, of course. Universal Basic Income, for example. Just take some of that gravy from the gravy train, and spread it around. But — I’m asking you seriously here — why would they do that, when they could just.. not do that?
Really well said.
But even if they *do* grant a Universal Basic Income, can people not imagine the strings that could be attached, either up front or over time? Once you rely on a monthly, paternal gift from government to survive, what novel rules and requirements could be imposed? Could we say no to vaccinations anymore? Will we be asked to dig ditches or perform other work at some point in the future in exchange for that "free" money? If so, will this unchosen labor remain rare and occasional, or will it bloom into a regular thing? Is there a good reason for not thinking they wouldn't engage in social obedience scorekeeping, as they reportedly do in China, with consequences for posting an unacceptable opinion on some subject, or for criticizing government leaders, or for being caught out of one's house after hours, or whatever? What if we're required to install a special app on our (perhaps now required) smart phones, an app that does any number of distasteful things, like maybe keeping tabs on our comings and goings, keeping a record of everything we buy, building a list of everyone we come into contact with, ... (Keep going. Use your own imagination.)
Once we rely for our very survival on a gift from those who rule, what's the possibility that we would be no different from slaves on a plantation? After all, haven't slaves throughout history had their basic expenses -- food, lodging, medical care, etc. -- paid for them by their owners? Universal Basic Income sounds great, but it could cost a fortune.
This is a good piece, and it describes well your quiet rage at Capitalism. Those of us who have felt this way for years are relieved that a lot of people are, at last, noticing what an evil system Capitalism is. Like all systems and empires, it has an end date and we’re probably in that period now. Things absolutely will be better and different soon enough, because people have just had enough. I honestly think that it’s youngsters like Greta Thunberg and her peers who will move the planet into a better place. I’m glad that I was alway ne of the opposers, but it still feel profoundly unfair for us to dump all our crap onto kids and say: “Here you are. Now clean this up!” I think that they will, though, because life can’t goon unless there is a massive change.
> Hooray, you say! Exactly what I’ve been saying! No more work!
> Except… why, exactly, would the elites pay us to not produce anything? They hardly pay us anything when we do produce things for them. There are a lot of ideas here, of course. Universal Basic Income, for example. Just take some of that gravy from the gravy train, and spread it around. But — I’m asking you seriously here — why would they do that, when they could just.. not do that?
Really well said.
But even if they *do* grant a Universal Basic Income, can people not imagine the strings that could be attached, either up front or over time? Once you rely on a monthly, paternal gift from government to survive, what novel rules and requirements could be imposed? Could we say no to vaccinations anymore? Will we be asked to dig ditches or perform other work at some point in the future in exchange for that "free" money? If so, will this unchosen labor remain rare and occasional, or will it bloom into a regular thing? Is there a good reason for not thinking they wouldn't engage in social obedience scorekeeping, as they reportedly do in China, with consequences for posting an unacceptable opinion on some subject, or for criticizing government leaders, or for being caught out of one's house after hours, or whatever? What if we're required to install a special app on our (perhaps now required) smart phones, an app that does any number of distasteful things, like maybe keeping tabs on our comings and goings, keeping a record of everything we buy, building a list of everyone we come into contact with, ... (Keep going. Use your own imagination.)
Once we rely for our very survival on a gift from those who rule, what's the possibility that we would be no different from slaves on a plantation? After all, haven't slaves throughout history had their basic expenses -- food, lodging, medical care, etc. -- paid for them by their owners? Universal Basic Income sounds great, but it could cost a fortune.