First, this is the my current most favorite piece of music ever that I have heard. It is Ligeti. Listen to it while you read.
I am reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. You too should read it, and think hard about the fact that you are a wage-slave.
I recently had one of the most upsetting conversations that I have ever had with any human being.
Me: "What would happen if Walmart just disappeard?"
American: "There would just be another super-store to replace it in a few years"
Me: "Ok, well what would happen to the millions of people who work at Walmart?"
American: "They wouldn't have jobs!"
Me: "Well, what do you think they would do to fix that?"
American: "I dunno, they would probably leech off of the government..."
Me: "Thats it? That is their only option?"
American: "Well they could just roll over and die."
Me: "Ok, what would you do if you were one of those people?"
American: "I don't know. I'd probably start my own business."
Me: "Ok, so, for you that is your 'best case scenario', right? Why?"
American: "Because that has the most potential to benefit me."
Me: "What do you mean by that?"
Third party, witnessng the carnage chimes in: "It gives him the best chance to sustain where he currently is..."
American: "Yeah, that."
Me: "Hypothetically you work at Walmart, and we can assume you make a fair wage. You probably have a quarter acre lot, and a multi-bedroom house. Why, out of all the possible options, did you not even consider tilling your entire backyard and growing potatoes?"
American: "Because, potatoes don't make me any MONEY!!"
Me: "Rage."
The American then went on to explain that without a job he couldn't appreciate a few amenities and do some of the things that he likes to do. Like playing video games and working on cars.
I told him that he could build a generator out of car parts and build cars out of shit.
I was a bit nicer than that, but not too much nicer.
This entire conversation started because he was trying to tell the witnessing Third-Party that he was being ridiculous for wanting to move to Thailand after hearing about the Phosphorous shortage.
