There's this intriguing little article over at Orion about the conflict between work and sustainability. The author points out--no surprises--that capital cares only for more capital. It depends on zeroing out the environment as a resource and then expanding profits. Now, to do this, you need to make sure that the market never reaches saturation for your product. So you've got two choices: find more markets, design obsolescence into the product. The Orion article notes that people get caught up in this as wage slaves driven to consume. . .and to have jobs that create markets or obsolescence or products so that they can afford market-driven products that are obsolete in six months. It's work that he really wants to focus on. And, yes, most "work" these days is dehumanizing and profoundly pointless. But our author wants us, somehow, to go back to the nineteenth century. Or, rather, he wants us to become thoughtful, engaged, community-focused humans. How that might happen. . . is left to the imagination. He also has some truly wacky points, like "a human society would never willingly harm nature." He acknowledges that he has no proof for this, and with good reason. Phrases like "the Dust Bowl" and "Easter Island" keep coming to mind. And for good measure: violence is a part of human nature. It's wonderfully lucky of us, though, to also have brains large enough to think violent choices through.
I've gotta stop. I could go on and on about that article. Go over and read it. It's very nice, and even if he claims, fairly regularly, that he's not naive, he's being naive.
Gah. I said I would stop. On to another topic: D and I are going to walk around the Near South Neighborhood today. There's a Tour of Homes going on, many of which are ones that we walk and/or bike past on a regular basis. We're keen to see inside. Today's forecast: clear, breezy, high of 90. Chance of oak paneling, one hundred percent.
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