Comments on: Comments on 12632

Post number 12632

kv — Mon, 26 Nov 2001 09:22:39 -0800

The Age: The perils and joys of fleadom
(where flea=independent businessperson).
"Sadly, Handy says, a world of fleas and small organisations has led to a more selfish society ... 'What we need particularly is somewhere for the unhappy fleas to belong to.'"
So, for all those people who will be unsuccessful in business, and join the have-nots instead of the haves... what could they possibly belong to that would make things allright?

By: argybarg

argybarg — Mon, 26 Nov 2001 09:45:09 -0800

This article does sum up some thoughts I've had about the permanent-mercenary life. Even if you do succeed, you feel as if you're poaching from organizations, that you're looking in on well-lit houses on a cold night looking for a warm night's sleep. Even if you're likely to succeed, over and over, it's a bit of a forbidding feeling. But surely most of the organizations from which most people derive their sense of belonging are not worth belonging to. To use the company you work for as the organizing body of your life (you get your friends there, you play out your family dramas with the supervisors, you get a title) is lazy. If you want to belong to a group, try a group with no financial interest in taking as much from you as possible. Try a volunteer organization, or an amateur sports team, or a church, or a fraternal organization, or a union, or just a stable group of close friendships. Otherwise you organize your life around your utility, which is a way of choking off your range as a human being.

By: rushmc

rushmc — Mon, 26 Nov 2001 11:01:10 -0800

for all those people who will be unsuccessful in business, and join the have-nots instead of the haves... what could they possibly belong to that would make things allright? um...the haves, of course.

By: Catch

Catch — Mon, 26 Nov 2001 12:26:31 -0800

When the Trade Union Elephant dies I'm gonna go poke it with a stick.

By: gkr

gkr — Mon, 26 Nov 2001 14:04:46 -0800

a number of organizations have come to my mind over the years, but the strongest suggestion I have is free software of course truth, knowledge, and understanding are foundational... and in this universe where evil lurks "war" will never end Cryptonomicon is excellent