11.11.05
Eat, Sleep, Work, Consume, Die
A Wired article about “flailing away uselessly on the commercial gerbil wheel” illustrates a conflict endemic of the modern world. Our standard of living has been raised to such levels that we are working so hard to sustain it that we can’t actually enjoy it.
Mr. Long indirectly blames a number of factors — technology, corporatization, consumerism — but I think the main culprit is The State. The government takes so much money out of our hands and regulates the economy so much that any efficiencies gained are siphoned by the graft and corruption of our politicians.
And there’s the inevitable decline of America’s standard of living that is just around the corner, when the Baby Boomer’s start retiring and balloon all the health care and social security payments. Somebody has got to pay for it, and I and my generatation certainly don’t have a few trillion dollars laying around.
Don’t blame technology. This is a political problem that is trying to be *solved* with technology.
In any case, I do relate to his sentiment. Mortgage, chores, deadlines, reports. Work, work, work. Bills, bills, bills. Repeat. I am on the gerbil wheel.
Sometimes I’d kill to have a long leisurely weekend where the most stressful thing I did was read a new book while laying in a hammock on a cool autumn day, without having to worry about the crush of work waiting for me when I get up.
