Damn, an exquisite rant, my dear. One that had me humming tunes from Les Mis as I read.
Our species is endlessly bizarre, and I’m utterly convinced that our mangled relationship to our mortality contributes significantly to the otherwise incomprehensible acts that we seem willing commit in the name of that divine trajectory… More rants! Please!
(Ps, adding ‘adored expert’ to my bio, and bless you for your pigeon concern) 💜
Spot on with 'mangled relationship to mortality' Chloe, it must be the core trauma at the bottom of everything. You recommended a book awhile back in a comment maybe? Seemed like the central thesis. It even makes me wonder if our ageism and worship of youth isn't just one of its most blatant expressions. Another day, another rant ;) Muah! 💛
Winner-take-all capitalism is indeed immoral and a clear threat to the long-term survival of civilization and our species. Ironically, and as you so skillfully point out, this is a model that has flourished because it's rooted in that visceral/instinctive fear associated with survival. It is also rooted in greed, selfishness and sheer stupidity. We know, that the hoarding of resources by a handful when millions starve and our habitat continues to degrade cannot be sustained forever. So we can go on delluding ourselves a little longer while we sink deeper into chaos, or we begin to dislodge the global structures that maintain the status quo and replace them with something less lethal to humanity.
A wise and well written "rant" Troy (I more prefer "Astute observations and thought", though Rant has a certain ring to it). Fitting quote by Le Guin at the end.
"I’ve always thought “trickle-down economics” was telling—not “gush” or “rain” or “flood” but something far more miserly." How true.
Others have added far better words than I can here, but the world and the effects of gross capitalism take a heavy toll. I do not have the answer or solutions looking forward, though. All I can say is things will become worse if certain people remain in power, and if certain individuals return to power...
On a lighter note, I once "passively" watched In Time on a plane by observing someone else's screen. I watched it without sound. I was in some semi-catatonic state of boredom and plane-wine on the long-haul to or from Australia. Quite enjoyed the process of trying to work out wtf was actually going on.
Well you know I love a good on-screen dystopia, and that movie had it in spades - there were a fair few silly parts, but on the whole, I would watch it again on rerun.
Thank you for your gentle reframing of "rant" - I often hesitate before I push Publish on these, it's very off-topic fiction-wise, but I'm very passionate about reframing the narrative around power, wealth and inequality. I've made a concerted effort in my fiction to delve into the lives of ordinary people rather than tales of princes, rock stars and wunderkinds. Less sexy maybe, but more depth (I hope.) Thanks Nathan!
Your point about trickle down economics is a point well made; so mean and begrudging. And, economically and structurally, unsound.
We’re in the midst of an election here in the UK. Interesting debates about taxation emerging…many saying they would prefer to pay more tax to support the National Health Service, and support others who are disadvantaged. Of course, many arguing from a different perspective that low taxation remains the path of all that is true and right.
Sound financial sense and good money management is not the same as idolatry of wealth, or adulation of greed (the dangers and excesses of which, seems to me, to be the crux of your piece); and, indeed, a lack of those is - in its way - as shameful as excess for excess sake.
Yikes…I’m the man ranting now (not that you were ranting, as I’ve said)…better stop.
Spot on, Nicolas - just as you say, the Trump tax cuts were "sold" as an economic stimulus, but when tax money that could go toward sane and healthy funding of education, healthcare, etc instead goes into the coffers of the already wealthy, it's not stimulating anything except their own self-importance. It's a scandal. It's ongoing, everywhere.
Most of what I experience every day including "What do you feeel like having for dinner?" or "Where's my phone?, wouldn't be possible if we were still bound to the barter system. Still. Something's awry when you hear someone ( someone more perceptive than me) say that being rich is having your money work for you rather than you having to work for your money. Of course, we take solace in observing that every oligarch will one day end up like that dying pigeon. But maybe not before he ( and yes it's mostly he) has opened a Pandora's box of irreversible disaster.
This reminds me of the saying....what gets measured gets managed.....we measure a person's success through finite things like money, cars, houses, and other emblems of wealth. Therefore, we horde these things to become as wealthy as possible, even if we have enough to share and help those in our community. We all do it, not just the ultra wealthy. If we saw a group of chimpanzees where one chimp horded all the bananas and didn't share with the others in the group we'd think there was something wrong with the Chimp and probably call him selfish, a bully, a tyrant....yet our society hold people with extreme wealth up on pedestals like demi-gods as the standard for which we should all strive.
The people that scream for the end of capitalism usually do it from a position of relative well-being, the so-called armchair socialists. It's all right. We can despise our billionaires for hoarding or burning their fortunes up in space. But what about the tyrant that gets fat while an entire country starves to death, what about the corrupt heads of state that put an entire continent on the brink, constantly riven by civil wars and murderous militias ... they are the heirs, in direct line, of old-timey potentates. Louis XIV doesn't deserve your scorn, by the way, his reign was an exceptional time of peace and prosperity that lifted many out of the mud. Can't say the same about those that came after him ... but OK, abuse is abuse, and so is inequality, and as you say has been there from the moment people possessed more than was strictly needed for survival, I would just suggest to direct our fiercest anger toward the most nefarious offenders. After all, in a democracy with a justice system, however flawed, we have the luxury to speak up without being shot. The people surviving under a despot don't have that.
All good points, Martine - not sure I said anything about scorning or despising or that any of it qualifies as screaming - and I quite agree that the most egregious examples can be found currently as heads of state. My main point is more theoretical than practical: when is enough enough?
Damn, an exquisite rant, my dear. One that had me humming tunes from Les Mis as I read.
Our species is endlessly bizarre, and I’m utterly convinced that our mangled relationship to our mortality contributes significantly to the otherwise incomprehensible acts that we seem willing commit in the name of that divine trajectory… More rants! Please!
(Ps, adding ‘adored expert’ to my bio, and bless you for your pigeon concern) 💜
Spot on with 'mangled relationship to mortality' Chloe, it must be the core trauma at the bottom of everything. You recommended a book awhile back in a comment maybe? Seemed like the central thesis. It even makes me wonder if our ageism and worship of youth isn't just one of its most blatant expressions. Another day, another rant ;) Muah! 💛
Oh, without a shadow of a doubt. Anti-aging is anti-dying. I even think our relationship to winter is impaired by it!
Yay, rants! 💜
This opens up whole new lines of thinking and meditation...
Hear hear! Well said, Troy. Reasoned, poignant, and powerful.
If capitalism were just you’d get a whole lot more money for writing rants such as these! :)
hehe That's a lovely thought - thank you Michael!!
Winner-take-all capitalism is indeed immoral and a clear threat to the long-term survival of civilization and our species. Ironically, and as you so skillfully point out, this is a model that has flourished because it's rooted in that visceral/instinctive fear associated with survival. It is also rooted in greed, selfishness and sheer stupidity. We know, that the hoarding of resources by a handful when millions starve and our habitat continues to degrade cannot be sustained forever. So we can go on delluding ourselves a little longer while we sink deeper into chaos, or we begin to dislodge the global structures that maintain the status quo and replace them with something less lethal to humanity.
Yeah! 🩷
A wise and well written "rant" Troy (I more prefer "Astute observations and thought", though Rant has a certain ring to it). Fitting quote by Le Guin at the end.
"I’ve always thought “trickle-down economics” was telling—not “gush” or “rain” or “flood” but something far more miserly." How true.
Others have added far better words than I can here, but the world and the effects of gross capitalism take a heavy toll. I do not have the answer or solutions looking forward, though. All I can say is things will become worse if certain people remain in power, and if certain individuals return to power...
On a lighter note, I once "passively" watched In Time on a plane by observing someone else's screen. I watched it without sound. I was in some semi-catatonic state of boredom and plane-wine on the long-haul to or from Australia. Quite enjoyed the process of trying to work out wtf was actually going on.
Well you know I love a good on-screen dystopia, and that movie had it in spades - there were a fair few silly parts, but on the whole, I would watch it again on rerun.
Thank you for your gentle reframing of "rant" - I often hesitate before I push Publish on these, it's very off-topic fiction-wise, but I'm very passionate about reframing the narrative around power, wealth and inequality. I've made a concerted effort in my fiction to delve into the lives of ordinary people rather than tales of princes, rock stars and wunderkinds. Less sexy maybe, but more depth (I hope.) Thanks Nathan!
Definitely more depth. An ocean of depth ☺️
Certainly not a rant!
Your point about trickle down economics is a point well made; so mean and begrudging. And, economically and structurally, unsound.
We’re in the midst of an election here in the UK. Interesting debates about taxation emerging…many saying they would prefer to pay more tax to support the National Health Service, and support others who are disadvantaged. Of course, many arguing from a different perspective that low taxation remains the path of all that is true and right.
Sound financial sense and good money management is not the same as idolatry of wealth, or adulation of greed (the dangers and excesses of which, seems to me, to be the crux of your piece); and, indeed, a lack of those is - in its way - as shameful as excess for excess sake.
Yikes…I’m the man ranting now (not that you were ranting, as I’ve said)…better stop.
Spot on, Nicolas - just as you say, the Trump tax cuts were "sold" as an economic stimulus, but when tax money that could go toward sane and healthy funding of education, healthcare, etc instead goes into the coffers of the already wealthy, it's not stimulating anything except their own self-importance. It's a scandal. It's ongoing, everywhere.
Most of what I experience every day including "What do you feeel like having for dinner?" or "Where's my phone?, wouldn't be possible if we were still bound to the barter system. Still. Something's awry when you hear someone ( someone more perceptive than me) say that being rich is having your money work for you rather than you having to work for your money. Of course, we take solace in observing that every oligarch will one day end up like that dying pigeon. But maybe not before he ( and yes it's mostly he) has opened a Pandora's box of irreversible disaster.
That's the part that's so difficult - the people and things that get trampled in the race to be top dog. Thanks Richard.
Wise words and a strong philosophical exploration. I like the jump of your thought, the line of thinking is mental gymnastics! 🤸🏽♀️
I do like a good left turn at Albuquerque... 😂Thank you Kate!
This reminds me of the saying....what gets measured gets managed.....we measure a person's success through finite things like money, cars, houses, and other emblems of wealth. Therefore, we horde these things to become as wealthy as possible, even if we have enough to share and help those in our community. We all do it, not just the ultra wealthy. If we saw a group of chimpanzees where one chimp horded all the bananas and didn't share with the others in the group we'd think there was something wrong with the Chimp and probably call him selfish, a bully, a tyrant....yet our society hold people with extreme wealth up on pedestals like demi-gods as the standard for which we should all strive.
Exactly. You are as wise as you are beautiful, princess. 😘
Ditto!
The people that scream for the end of capitalism usually do it from a position of relative well-being, the so-called armchair socialists. It's all right. We can despise our billionaires for hoarding or burning their fortunes up in space. But what about the tyrant that gets fat while an entire country starves to death, what about the corrupt heads of state that put an entire continent on the brink, constantly riven by civil wars and murderous militias ... they are the heirs, in direct line, of old-timey potentates. Louis XIV doesn't deserve your scorn, by the way, his reign was an exceptional time of peace and prosperity that lifted many out of the mud. Can't say the same about those that came after him ... but OK, abuse is abuse, and so is inequality, and as you say has been there from the moment people possessed more than was strictly needed for survival, I would just suggest to direct our fiercest anger toward the most nefarious offenders. After all, in a democracy with a justice system, however flawed, we have the luxury to speak up without being shot. The people surviving under a despot don't have that.
All good points, Martine - not sure I said anything about scorning or despising or that any of it qualifies as screaming - and I quite agree that the most egregious examples can be found currently as heads of state. My main point is more theoretical than practical: when is enough enough?
Enough is never enough for the man for whom enough is too little.
Jinx, you owe me a soda. It seems you and are are on similar wavelengths this week thinking about death and the luxury of time. ⏳