cheating ourselves

[miriam_e]

I listened to Background Briefing this morning, as is my habit on a Sunday. Today's episode followed a doctor and his wife who took some deperately needed medical supplies and childrens' clothes to Afganistan. The most awful part for me was where they described how after the war many of the most vicious warlords are being supported by the West (most notably the USA). Many women were elected to government, and the Taliban and the warlords responded by issuing death warrants. One woman stood up in government there and called the warlords a bunch of murderers and told them they should all be in jail. How did these thugs respond? With yells of "Rape her!"

Parts of the world that deny half their population the chance to be productive members of society are doomed to slide backwards. It just makes simple sense. It is a matter of making best use of the greatest resource we have: humans.

But don't nod wisely and think this just applies to the islamic world. We are major offenders here too. In spite of decades -- centuries -- of trying here in the West, women still don't get equal pay for equal work nor equal opportunity.

And talking about ignoring resources, we are currently involved in a filthy, absurd, counterproductive campaign. We have a way to multiply wealth and knowledge easily, at virtually no cost, without limit, yet instead of welcoming and maximising use of this revolutionary technology we have outlawed it and fine children thousands of dollars if they use it. It is, of course, file sharing.

Yes, it is not only the islamic world that is governed by unprincipled morons.

Comments

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

USA seems to be well on the way to becoming a theocracy. Most religions are opposed to birth-control pills. They are also opposed to abortions, but it turns out that there is a direct correlation between abortions and religion. Religion is a weird thing. Some recent work investigating the claims that it makes people better have shown that all the bad things in society correlate with religion -- teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, abortion, violence, divorce, murder. The most religious people were by far the worst. Contrast that with atheism and secular societies, which have tolerant, generally healthy and happy societies.

I notice in a number of places in USA laws are being imposed that fine people for feeding the homeless. That is one scary change that I hope doesn't spread to Australia, but given our zombie-like tendency to follow in lock-step I expect we will. Luckily we still have very few homeless, though new USA-style economic changes that favor the very rich and further disadvantage the poor mean we might not have long to wait for that too.

I was thinking this morning about the constant rhetoric spouted by politicians at the moment that getting out of the way of business is a good thing, and that government is not here to help the poor.

The countries that follow that kind of philosophy to the max are some of the worst in the world, that are ruled viciously by small numbers of insulated, ultra-wealthy families, living off the blood of large numbers of impoverished poor. Those countries are prone to violence and riddled with disease.

The countries that ensure business plays fair and that tax wealth heavily in order to redistribute it to the poorest, have the highest standard of living in the world, with a well-educated, healthy, happy population and a strong and vibrant culture.

I'm convinced work, the way we currently think of it, is a temporary thing. Our populations are aging. Robots are maturing in capabilities and are the only way to look after a vast, aging population -- there simply will not be enough young carers to go around. And when robots become common over the next several years the entire concept of work will change. Those whose life is defined by a slave-like puritanical approach to a life of work will be lost and directionless. Those who are able to adapt to living a fulfilled life of learning and working at something because it is their passion will do well.

Interesting times ahead.