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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (38079)	10/10/2000 5:05:26 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 70976

totally OT: re: "rich countries will be forced to help poor countries": The rich have been able to ignore the chaos and suffering in poor countries, for centuries. The main difference now, is that those poor countries (and, in the future, every ethnic/political faction within those countries), is going to have access to weapons of mass destruction. This will be very effective blackmail, used by anyone who doesn't have a stake in the status quo. Today Pakistan has the Bomb. Tomorrow, Uganda? The Palestinians? The Tibetans? For most of history, there have been a few rich countries, a lot of poor countries, and a (very) few countries making the transition from poor to rich. Today, the countries in transition are mostly in East Asia and central/E. Europe. re: "I know of many couples among my friends who make in excess of $150k~250k/year each. And they have to work 50~70 hour weeks for that. Every single one of them would love to be able to take in less than half of that money in exchange for 25 hour weeks so that they can spend time together and live their lives. Guess what? That is not possible." With the unemployment rate below 4%, workers can get whatever work situation they want, and employers have to adjust. If workers wanted fewer hours, they could make it happen. The problem is not employers, but rather how people define their self-worth. Today, every adult (almost all men, and, since the rise of feminism, most women as well) defines themselves by what they do outside of the home. "Being Home" is equivalent to "doing nothing". We define ourselves, first by our job, second by our hobbies, and last as parents/homemakers. As long as we put those relative values on home vs. work, people will continue to work 70 hours/week (and complain about it, since we are, after all, only human).

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (38079)	10/10/2000 5:15:38 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

OT Sun, Well said. The question then is how do you choose to live your life? I have pasted an excerpt of an email I wrote awhile back to a friend: I am, more and more each day, a minimalist. I am beginning to eschew material things in favor of living a life of modesty. I like owning stocks as a security blanket so to speak. However, you will not see me spending my $$ on flashy cars, name brand clothes etc etc. I have sworn off all malls and will only buy something when it is on sale. I have also taken to shopping at 2nd hand shops. There is a great feeling in finding a bargain. The best things in life do not come easily. The same could be said for that pair of jeans you want. I find the materialistic wantings of our society at the root of all/most evils in our society. This was reinforced on my trip to Nepal this past April. The people there earned a meagre living(avg income $150/yr) yet were happier than my own nieces/nephews. I swore then that I would not raise my kids the way most are brought up; with expensive appetites and parents who will satiate them feeling they are helping their kids. This country is in a state of spiritual atrophy b/c of all of the "things" we need. We work 60 hrs/wk to buy the things we want and yet cannot enjoy them. Family ties are weaker than ever b/c of our schedules. The environment suffers. We suffer, feeling the stress of keeping up with the Joneses. It's a slippery slope that is not impossible to get off but difficult to admit to. Why? It feels good to have the things you want. But I've found that it feels better to deprive yourself of certain things and force yourself to wait before running out to buy that thing you need. It reinforces a feeling of self-control, something you don't have when you jump in the car and run to the mall. IMHO, this is something which should be discussed more often as it concerns everyone on the planet, as a result of our actions. Additionally, we have been force fed the idea of an American Dream growing up that for many, including myself, does simply not ring true. Happiness can only come if you are free to some extent(we all need to make some money after all), but freedom will never come if you are tied to a job 50 hours plus a week. Regards, Brian