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The Elephant in the Room

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Kevin
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Re: The Elephant in the Room

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etudiant wrote:But again, this describes individual characteristics, but not overarching economic trends.
Yes, though I'll modify the statement to say that it describes individual characteristics that have been molded as a result of being beaten down by overarching economic trends. Which is basically saying, as you did, that they overlap. I agree though, it's all hopeless. But slackers who complain about this and that irritate me. And I think this acceptance of the combination of idleness and bellyaching has become more prevalent as we've traveled down the road to these hollow companies. I'd just like things to remain afloat until after I die, which I am hopeful is not something that's right around the corner. I don't think it's too much to ask for! Anyway, who needs anything close to full employment? I'd like everyone under an arbitrary though relatively low income level (say minimum wage times 40) to receive a big fat welfare check because god knows they'll spend it. That's the point of printing it in the first place. Wealth is concentrating in the USA and it's going to continue to do so... freedom and all. So let's just give it away. Inflation? Stop giving it to the ones who are currently getting it. Well anyway, yes it's unemployment (and underemployment) where states fight against states by seeing who can offer the most to companies and the least to workers that will be the downfall of us all. Alienation of the worker from the work; Marx had this right as far as I'm concerned. But it's an ugly thing to watch.
The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? - Jeremy Bentham
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etudiant
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Re: The Elephant in the Room

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Kevin wrote:
etudiant wrote:But again, this describes individual characteristics, but not overarching economic trends.
Yes, though I'll modify the statement to say that it describes individual characteristics that have been molded as a result of being beaten down by overarching economic trends. Which is basically saying, as you did, that they overlap. I agree though, it's all hopeless. But slackers who complain about this and that irritate me. And I think this acceptance of the combination of idleness and bellyaching has become more prevalent as we've traveled down the road to these hollow companies. I'd just like things to remain afloat until after I die, which I am hopeful is not something that's right around the corner. I don't think it's too much to ask for! Anyway, who needs anything close to full employment? I'd like everyone under an arbitrary though relatively low income level (say minimum wage times 40) to receive a big fat welfare check because god knows they'll spend it. That's the point of printing it in the first place. Wealth is concentrating in the USA and it's going to continue to do so... freedom and all. So let's just give it away. Inflation? Stop giving it to the ones who are currently getting it. Well anyway, yes it's unemployment (and underemployment) where states fight against states by seeing who can offer the most to companies and the least to workers that will be the downfall of us all. Alienation of the worker from the work; Marx had this right as far as I'm concerned. But it's an ugly thing to watch.
Amen. This is going to be another great challenge of the 21st century- unwinding the now accelerating accumulation of wealth going into the hands of surprised, but still grasping hands at the apex of the social spectrum. It's hard to see how this might come about given current political leanings, but it must- unless we go back to the age of the robber barons, and the cities of Charles Dickens.
"I suspect that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose"
— JBS Haldane
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