Comparing Your Markings To Zlatko's

[countblastula]

Click to view

Ned Sykes from Preoccupied Pipers edited that together from hours of tedious iPhone & digital camera video that we took in England back in May. Amazing skills that guy has. I had to watch it several times to pick out all the little subliminal details.

And here's the latest Single-Of-The-Month:

Comments

[halphasian]

This is an interesting perspective. The thing is, I think we do have the resources and the ability to let robots and computers do most of the work and have humans work George Jetsonesque 10-hour weeks, and everyone could still have enough to eat and comfortable places to live and a little bit of entertainment.

The problem is that all this new work-saving technology funnels more of the wealth to the owners of capital - the "corporations" - and away from the workers. In a socialist paradise (note: such a thing is impossible), everyone could share the fruits of machine-automated labor equally, work just a little bit, and live comfortably. But everyone always wants to have MORE. If you're a company owner and you buy new machines that reduce human labor by 50%, are you going to keep paying your human laborers the same salary to do 50% less work? Probably not. So you downsize, or look for new things for them to do. And then you make more money for yourself.

Workers, at least in America, also have the sense that they shouldn't get paid for dong nothing. So they want to have jobs and "work hard" out of a sense of guilt, I think.

Wow, that sounds like I'm arguing for communism. But I know communism never work. People are naturally far too selfish.

[countblastula]

>Wow, that sounds like I'm arguing for communism. But I know communism never work. People are naturally far too selfish.

Seems to work for you. When's the last time you had a job in a non-communist country?

Anyway, I wasn't looking at it from a realistic economist perspective, but from an anthropological one. For millions of years, humans have always been driven towards thinking up ways to avoid work, and we've pretty much figured it out. Yet in 2011 all anyone can talk about is "jobs" and "work". (I guess it's easy for me to say though, I haven't had to look for a job in a long time. )

[halphasian]

If you consider Canada to be communist (socialist), then it's been... 11 years? Wow.

But I do agree with your point. The point of "progress" should be to make things easier and more comfortable for humans, so they can enjoy the same quality of life without working so hard. I don't think there is anything inherently noble about "having a job."

And not having a job (and needing money) sucks.

[clyde_park]

Working in theory is noble in that you are being self-reliant. Say on a farm for instance. Unfortunately most of the work we do is not self-reliant. Most of my money goes to other people who "take care" of me.

Garbage, sewer, water, electricity, fuel, food, clothing, auto repair/upkeep; almost ALL of this is provided by someone else that we have to pay to receive. We are consumers. We don't really produce anything we need ourselves. We grow a few vegetable plants and perhaps have a wood stove to heat our home that we cut our own wood for. Other than that we rely on someone else. Combine this with taxes, the amazingly high cost of housing, etc and work isn't done for the sake of nobility, but just to survive.

The system is designed to keep the money you earn flowing out to someone else. That's why no matter how much you "progress" with technology it doesn't really make things easier for you, because you probably use the technology to largely benefit someone else.

[halphasian]

Yes, you are right. I agree that self-reliance is "noble" in that you are doing things for yourself instead of making other people do things for you. That makes your a better person.

But you are also right that "having a job" is not the same as "being self-reliant." Not anymore. Having a job is something you have to do, because you need to have money to survive, because everyone wants MORE money, and it all flows "uphill."

I bet technological advances have made Bill Gates' and Steve Jobs' lives very easy (at least in retirement). Or, more appropriately, they've made Paris Hilton's and Bristol Palin's lives very easy (because their parents made a lot of money off the labor -- and use of technology -- of others).

I guess my only point really is that we DO have the technological ability to make everyone's lives "easier" in terms of spending less time doing work they don't want to do, but this involves everyone sharing -- even with people who don't "deserve" it -- which seems to be a stumbling block for most humans.

[countblastula]

Hmm, I was just making wry observations about human nature based on current events. I am not actually angry at "the system". You sound like you are actually angry at the system. Would you really prefer to be responsible for digging your own sewer, finding your own water, making your own clothes and electricity, and disposing of all of your own refuse? (And I hardly think you can complain about the amazingly high cost of housing in your area.)

[clyde_park]

Yeah, I'm a bit miffed at the system. In theory the system works fine; Pay small monthly fess for basic services? I'm all for that. But sometimes the system screws you. For instance...

A year ago my mortgage payment was $850 a month. Not too shabby for a two income home. However, my drain field went bad last year. I tried to get a permit from the township to replace it which should have been no problem, but they wouldn't grant the permit and instead insisted that I had to hook up to the city sewer because it is available even though I don't live in city limits. With assessment taxes and fees this came to a whopping $8000. Because of the escrow my mortgage payment is now $1000. But that's not all...

Ten residents who live three blocks away in the next county want a new drainage system on their street to help keep their basements from getting flooded. You would think, "All right then pay for it?" Wouldn't you? Sure you would. Except the two counties and two townships that the drain will run through have decided that the drain will come right down my road, through my neighbor's yard and into a stream that empties into Lake Macatawa. Even though this drain will not help my home in any way the "system" has decided that I must share the burden. According to the Drain Commission this will be only a slight burden on me. The project costs $2 million. My assessment could be upwards of another $2000. That's $10000 in tax assessments in two years. My mortgage payment will go up again. (Incidentally I'm one of only two homes on my street that will have to pay because the new drain pipe will stop in front of my house. The guy to the north of me is off the hook.)

I am attempting to sell my home; my home that has lost over $50,000 in "value" since it was appraised six years ago. According to my realtor (who will get 6% of any money it sells for) *I* will be asked to pay that assessment by any potential buyer. *PLUS* If anyone should offer to buy the home and try to get an FHA loan the FHA will not give them the loan if the home has a well (which mine does) but has access to city water (which I do). So that means *I* would have to pay the $12000 in taxes and fees that is charged for city water hook up in order to get the home sale approved. I could ask the buyer to pay, but I doubt they would. I'm pretty sure they would go spend their money elsewhere.

That's a grand total of $22,000 in taxes and fees just for access to "basic services" Being generous I would say that's just about 1/4 of my home's current value. And I would also say it's unreasonable.

But at least HD cable is only $40 a month here so I can stay pacified.

[clyde_park]

And those basic services were essentially free when I "relied on myself" ($100 every two years to have my septic tank pumped. Well water is free.) Once "the system" got involved I guaranteed myself a lot of hard work for a long time.

[countblastula]

I remember this story, and you're right; it's unreasonable and you should be angry. However, your mortgage is still about 1/2 of what I pay, and mine is already really low for my area so I'm not going to get TOO outraged on your behalf. Doesn't "the system" allow you any method of redress? A lawsuit? A segment in an Oscar-nominated documentary? Would it help if I wrote a folk song about it?