tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post7046188939085790310..comments2024-03-25T17:48:53.875-04:00Comments on Heissatopia: The silent, sullen peoplesAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14785629874138416100noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-38132609136606121862011-10-12T04:53:25.124-04:002011-10-12T04:53:25.124-04:00No, it's a good point! I usually argue your si...No, it's a good point! I usually argue your side. I was just being contrary. It's true, this is the hand we've been dealt: selling our labor to earn wages that we use to purchase and consume capitalist commodities in order to reproduce our families socially. And we have to live in that world.<br /><br />On the other hand, there was an alternative at one time--sustainable lifestyles, extensive agriculture, general survival skills, eating what you grow, massive amounts of leisure time--and just because it's no longer conventional, that doesn't mean it's not possible at all, in some form, at some point in the future.John Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07528545971332137294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-66033474448339173352011-10-08T12:26:38.623-04:002011-10-08T12:26:38.623-04:00I don't know; I think he's saying that as ...I don't know; I think he's saying that as we specialize we're able to specialize more. Or because intensive agriculture won out then we're able to specialize and because we have the freedom of choice, etc., we're able to capitalize, so to speak, on our specializations. <br /><br />In places without freedom of choice it's more difficult to capitalize on specializations. <br /><br />You have a PhD. He has a PhD. I'm a stay-at-home-mom with a BA. <br /><br />You two can hash it out. :)Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08631734965938273438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-90094537308049589962011-10-08T03:17:22.724-04:002011-10-08T03:17:22.724-04:00OK, so I haven't read the book... But "Th...OK, so I haven't read the book... But "The freedom of choice and of personal knowledge makes possible the great gains that come from specialization" seems exactly opposite of how it probably happened. We didn't decide to be free and then invent intensive agriculture in order to have large surpluses. That's like saying dinosaurs went extinct so that mammals would have a chance to evolve into great apes. It's far more likely that intensive agriculture won out because it could support larger populations, not because some at the top would be free to be priests, warriors, etc.John Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07528545971332137294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-82853504629358975182011-10-07T22:31:59.835-04:002011-10-07T22:31:59.835-04:00^^^What Myrna said--and as one of those poor peopl...^^^What Myrna said--and as one of those poor people, it's hard to be looked at like I'm lazy and using the system when I'm at the store/doctors office. <br />A little understanding that you don't know others situations goes a l-o-n-g ways. <br />And thanks for those stats on pay--I keep seeing that post around FB, and it drives me a little crazy. . .Krystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06913428516869324522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624978.post-70684856097125466592011-10-07T22:17:26.608-04:002011-10-07T22:17:26.608-04:00Amen and amen to your rant! Well said!Amen and amen to your rant! Well said!Myrnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450610418971329885noreply@blogger.com