Comments on: The Rich and the Nervous http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/ Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:07:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: hapa http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-12172 hapa Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:17:50 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-12172 1/2 boutiqueness. 1/2 romantic DIYuppies. 1/2 social visioneering. 1/2 local zoning control (to encourage high value entrepreneurité). that's 1, right? 1/2 boutiqueness. 1/2 romantic DIYuppies. 1/2 social visioneering. 1/2 local zoning control (to encourage high value entrepreneurité). that’s 1, right?

]]> By: Brian http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-12154 Brian Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:31:18 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-12154 Interestingly enough, the only places where traditional "farms" seem to have much hope of survival or even revival is exactly near the local/regional equivalent of "Paris." See the organic boutique farms of Northern california. Only near capitalist hotspots does it seem like the other values of localism and sustainability and roots seem to matter-even if this trend is marketed as a lifestyle choice (again monetized!) Otherwise, "the farm" has been replaced by vastly scaled industrial agriculture, with the husks of dying famr villages kep alive by government payments and in a few "lucky" cases by the regional SuperWalMart. Interestingly enough, the only places where traditional “farms” seem to have much hope of survival or even revival is exactly near the local/regional equivalent of “Paris.” See the organic boutique farms of Northern california. Only near capitalist hotspots does it seem like the other values of localism and sustainability and roots seem to matter-even if this trend is marketed as a lifestyle choice (again monetized!) Otherwise, “the farm” has been replaced by vastly scaled industrial agriculture, with the husks of dying famr villages kep alive by government payments and in a few “lucky” cases by the regional SuperWalMart.

]]> By: hapa http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-12131 hapa Fri, 10 Aug 2007 09:14:12 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-12131 i’m getting confused, though. are we all sure that not being able to keep ‘em on the farm has to do with money? paris also has pretty lights and a wide variety of crazy behavior. ok, lots of that has to do with money, but not all, right?

google search result quote: “Since you can’t keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen Paris, make sure you locate the farm in Paris.”

]]> By: saurabh http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-11972 saurabh Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:51:48 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-11972 Sure, simplistic. But capitalist societies don't really value other forms of wealth, and as time goes on, those other forms of wealth tend to vanish. Social support networks are a great example. "It Takes a Village" was Hillary Clinton's bit of wisdom stolen from visits to India, where it really DOES take a village - farming is communal, and many resources are shared. Extended families are another good example - when you get old, you don't need social security, because your children and grandchildren care for you. These are forms of wealth that capitalist society does not appreciate. You can't commodify and sell familial love, therefore it has no value. Of course capitalists are blind to the value of anything but money. As for marxists, well - Marx was an economist and his seminal work was entitled "Das Kapital". Now, an interesting question is, are there other, important forms of non-monetary wealth available to "the workers"? Does the fact that the capitalists are gorging themselves on pie mean that everyone else is starving? Or are they just eating cake? I'm inclined to say they are not. Alienation has had a lot of time to work. Individualism has won. We're all free agents operating in the market, now. It's money, or nothing. The way we reverse that, methinks, is by rebuilding other forms of wealth, which are not as fickle and easily stolen as money. But in the meanwhile, sure, I think everyone should get to eat more pie. Sure, simplistic. But capitalist societies don’t really value other forms of wealth, and as time goes on, those other forms of wealth tend to vanish. Social support networks are a great example. “It Takes a Village” was Hillary Clinton’s bit of wisdom stolen from visits to India, where it really DOES take a village – farming is communal, and many resources are shared. Extended families are another good example – when you get old, you don’t need social security, because your children and grandchildren care for you. These are forms of wealth that capitalist society does not appreciate. You can’t commodify and sell familial love, therefore it has no value. Of course capitalists are blind to the value of anything but money.

As for marxists, well – Marx was an economist and his seminal work was entitled “Das Kapital”.

Now, an interesting question is, are there other, important forms of non-monetary wealth available to “the workers”? Does the fact that the capitalists are gorging themselves on pie mean that everyone else is starving? Or are they just eating cake? I’m inclined to say they are not. Alienation has had a lot of time to work. Individualism has won. We’re all free agents operating in the market, now. It’s money, or nothing.

The way we reverse that, methinks, is by rebuilding other forms of wealth, which are not as fickle and easily stolen as money. But in the meanwhile, sure, I think everyone should get to eat more pie.

]]> By: Brian http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-11969 Brian Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:58:33 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-11969 I meant "the same" of course (blush) I meant “the same” of course (blush)

]]> By: Brian http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-11968 Brian Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:58:07 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-11968 Well...isn't the basic theme behind both sides (the hard core capitalist "markets are everything" crowd and the marxists) the same-that the only thing that matters is the economy and production. They both "seem" to reduce the complexity of human society down to money and production. That's simplistic, I know, but... Well…isn’t the basic theme behind both sides (the hard core capitalist “markets are everything” crowd and the marxists) the same-that the only thing that matters is the economy and production. They both “seem” to reduce the complexity of human society down to money and production. That’s simplistic, I know, but…

]]> By: Scruggs http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/comment-page-1/#comment-11378 Scruggs Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:17:25 +0000 http://rhinocrisy.org/2007/07/the-rich-and-the-nervous/#comment-11378 We must weep for <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3e9f9006-3ba4-11dc-8002-0000779fd2ac,dwp_uuid=d355f29c-d238-11db-a7c0-000b5df10621.html" rel="nofollow">them</a>, great salt tears of sympathy. We must weep for them, great salt tears of sympathy.

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