I became aware of how awful our Capitalist society was when I became too disabled to work. I didn't understand at the time, because I was busy dealing with overcoming the shame of not being able to be a meaningless cog in the machine. Once I had done that, it became blindingly clear how our society trains us all to be mindless automatons that focus on survival and the day to day shuffle and bright shiny things to buy to distract us as our rights are slowly stripped away (not so slowly anymore) and a very few hoard all the resources and accrue all the power.
They are definitely not, but they’re what we can do. I’d love to change the system. I’ve written a whole book about how the system, not individuals, is the problem.
In the meantime, you gotta live the best life you can.
"The loop chose us" indeed. The only salvation going to those who rejected the loop.
Of course, all of this promise you detail, and i think you're bang-on, actually worked out alright during that brief post WWII when energy and resources poured over the rim of all glasses and delivered the greatest benefit, the greatest amount of excess, to the broadest cross-section. Sure, that shit was always trap and bait, but the rewards used to be a predictable (if dreadfully dull) stability at least, which is what most people place tops: "I like it safe and I don't like change!" All the pointy bits are laid bare in the decline phase of a model's trajectory meanwhile, where we find ourselves now.
I saw the loop for a noose by my early teens, ran from it, have never had lasting stability, and at 61 i am ecstatic with how my life played out. No doubt i've had a great deal of luck, as is the case with any success, but beyond that i could describe the success of my approach as such: "I saw the box with its open maw and i ran the other way" while the people around me happily lined up for admission. That much more vital today, if you want any single part of your life to be your own, to flee the box. To travel light, not just when young. There are folks who thrive within a dying model. They aren't the ones who follow the grandparents' script.
Very engagingly written and enjoyed how your voice came through on this. I do wonder why these “small rebellions” are not more often considered. Growing up, if I was overwhelmed with my schoolwork, sports and work my mom would tell me to take a mental health day.
Also - one should definitely be grabbing coffee with a friend. Going on a walk. Playing billiards. Be in public and around people. I feel low on my low days as much as anybody, but I do have some issue with this external force character that is snapping us in line. Of course that happens - frequently even - but posing it as the sole reason for our misery feels like an over-explanation.
Thanks for writing this and that it popped into my feed!
Push for universal basic income! It's been successfully trialled in several places. It's just politician fear of populist right wing backlash that stops it.
I became aware of how awful our Capitalist society was when I became too disabled to work. I didn't understand at the time, because I was busy dealing with overcoming the shame of not being able to be a meaningless cog in the machine. Once I had done that, it became blindingly clear how our society trains us all to be mindless automatons that focus on survival and the day to day shuffle and bright shiny things to buy to distract us as our rights are slowly stripped away (not so slowly anymore) and a very few hoard all the resources and accrue all the power.
The only advice I have is to want less.
If you can, live in a place that doesn’t require you to feed the capitalism machine as much of your soul.
Go camping instead of abroad. Wear the same clothes and drive the same car forever.
The reason most cons work is that the mark is encouraged to want something out of it. If the mark declines, they aren’t conned.
not sure though that individualistic solutions are enough…
They are definitely not, but they’re what we can do. I’d love to change the system. I’ve written a whole book about how the system, not individuals, is the problem.
In the meantime, you gotta live the best life you can.
Wow I’m always left in awe of your writing, this paragraph:
“Advancement” means faster phones, not wiser hearts
Technology sprinted; wisdom limped.
We can deepfake the pope in a puffer jacket but can’t design an economy that doesn’t mulch souls for dividends.
We repeat genocidal mistakes in 4K HDR, meme them, forget them, repeat them again.
Tool upgrades without value upgrades are just sharper blades to cut ourselves with.
Great read. Well written.
thank you!
Middle class drudgery has replaced agrarian drudgery. Yay!
Why do you assume the agrarian life was drudgery?
"The loop chose us" indeed. The only salvation going to those who rejected the loop.
Of course, all of this promise you detail, and i think you're bang-on, actually worked out alright during that brief post WWII when energy and resources poured over the rim of all glasses and delivered the greatest benefit, the greatest amount of excess, to the broadest cross-section. Sure, that shit was always trap and bait, but the rewards used to be a predictable (if dreadfully dull) stability at least, which is what most people place tops: "I like it safe and I don't like change!" All the pointy bits are laid bare in the decline phase of a model's trajectory meanwhile, where we find ourselves now.
I saw the loop for a noose by my early teens, ran from it, have never had lasting stability, and at 61 i am ecstatic with how my life played out. No doubt i've had a great deal of luck, as is the case with any success, but beyond that i could describe the success of my approach as such: "I saw the box with its open maw and i ran the other way" while the people around me happily lined up for admission. That much more vital today, if you want any single part of your life to be your own, to flee the box. To travel light, not just when young. There are folks who thrive within a dying model. They aren't the ones who follow the grandparents' script.
Very engagingly written and enjoyed how your voice came through on this. I do wonder why these “small rebellions” are not more often considered. Growing up, if I was overwhelmed with my schoolwork, sports and work my mom would tell me to take a mental health day.
Also - one should definitely be grabbing coffee with a friend. Going on a walk. Playing billiards. Be in public and around people. I feel low on my low days as much as anybody, but I do have some issue with this external force character that is snapping us in line. Of course that happens - frequently even - but posing it as the sole reason for our misery feels like an over-explanation.
Thanks for writing this and that it popped into my feed!
Push for universal basic income! It's been successfully trialled in several places. It's just politician fear of populist right wing backlash that stops it.
Weirdly, everyone I know who is not stuck in the adulting autopilot loop is either an artist or a federal employee.
I felt every word, great read
Felt. 🤲
You speak to my soul bro
You are brilliant with the words. I barely feel alive in this society and your written piece summarised this very well.
Poetry in a prose form!!
Sign a pledge card for the general strike!
This is one of your best pieces.
Thank you.
Your writing is really great.