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ORIGINAL: Ialdabaoth

Strawberries. I can walk down to the corner store, throw down $4.00 - less than half an hour's wages - and buy a box of strawberries.

In the middle of winter.

Not even the Sun King, Louis the XIV of France, could command his subjects to bring him fresh strawberries out of season.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ialdabaoth

Strawberries. I can walk down to the corner store, throw down $4.00 - less than half an hour's wages - and buy a box of strawberries.

In the middle of winter.

Not even the Sun King, Louis the XIV of France, could command his subjects to bring him fresh strawberries out of season.


Well yes and no.  Strawberries are a winter crop in California and have been available right across the street from Disneyland for Eight dollars a flat that is 14 pints, since just after christmas.

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I watched the video a couple of times and I’m still not sure I understand all of it as it was intended.

There are parts that appear accurate to me.

Working toward continuous improvement in the areas of efficiency, minimized waste, product quality, full utilization of assets, and elimination of ‘bottle necking’ are all good business sense.

Also, a group is only as strong as its weakest member. Therefore, we could only benefit as a whole from enabling every member to be as educated, healthy, and stress less as possible.

The fact that capitalism pushes us in the opposite direction of these things shouldn’t be a red flag; it should be a flare up people’s asses.
The ability to travel; further my education; work on projects, that for now, I not only lack skill but, also, adequate time; and spending more time with my kids, family and friends, are all prospects I found appealing.

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However, there were a few things I wasn’t so comfy with.

The whole idea behind ‘humanity’ is for all of mankind to become incorporated as a whole, while recognizing the individual. The claim that there is no such thing as ‘human nature’ would seem to reinforce the idea. It is still hard for me to picture how individualism would be maintained in such environments. I don’t think it is impossible to achieve, as long as it is not overlooked as an important factor.

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Something else that bothered me; the video says that there would be no government, but according to the explanation, it would seem more accurate to say that computers would become government. To me, it sounds like ‘taking the human out of humanity’. On the other hand, I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘good people’ don’t really need government, but that they only require ‘good counsel’. My concern in this area is twofold; first, how likely is it that people would become reliant on computers to make decisions for them; second, where do those whose purpose it is to be ‘good counsel’ fit in?

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Unfortunately, humanity seems very sick to me, and probably not willing, or able to measurably improve itself, without some profound influence. However, I suspect if it were to happen, it would have to start with how we perceive ourselves, and each other.

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ORIGINAL: cpK69
Also, a group is only as strong as its weakest member. Therefore, we could only benefit as a whole from enabling every member to be as educated, healthy, and stress less as possible.