We just took a quick day trip with the board of directors to an amusement park, one that has become a favorite of mine after roughly 17,000 excursions there as a class trip chaperone. One small incident reminded me of one reason we are having a moment about vouchers and choice in this country.
I love this, and this is probably one of the best arguments in favor of public education. We need these shared spaces to build a strong and healthy community. I think what you're describing is the end result of decades of implementing technical solutions to social problems. There will always be disagreement, and it can often be very useful and productive, not to mention enriching and fulfilling, but tech bros want to take away any sense of friction so that each person can be completely in control of their lives (not recognizing that you will always run up against the limits of your control over others.
"But shared spaces are at odds with the commercial, mercenary consumer mindset, a mindset that encourages us to scrimp and save and hoard the resources we need to make ourselves the best damned bubble ever. Gimme my fully furnished neo-liberal bubble, baby."
^This reminded me of this quote from Marx I recently came across -
"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the public house, and the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, etc. the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure which neither moth nor rust will corrupt – your capital. The less you are, the less you express your life, the more you have, the greater is your alienated life and the greater is the saving of your alienated being. Everything which the economist takes from you in the way of life and humanity, he restores to you in the form of money and wealth."
I love this, and this is probably one of the best arguments in favor of public education. We need these shared spaces to build a strong and healthy community. I think what you're describing is the end result of decades of implementing technical solutions to social problems. There will always be disagreement, and it can often be very useful and productive, not to mention enriching and fulfilling, but tech bros want to take away any sense of friction so that each person can be completely in control of their lives (not recognizing that you will always run up against the limits of your control over others.
"But shared spaces are at odds with the commercial, mercenary consumer mindset, a mindset that encourages us to scrimp and save and hoard the resources we need to make ourselves the best damned bubble ever. Gimme my fully furnished neo-liberal bubble, baby."
^This reminded me of this quote from Marx I recently came across -
"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the public house, and the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, etc. the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure which neither moth nor rust will corrupt – your capital. The less you are, the less you express your life, the more you have, the greater is your alienated life and the greater is the saving of your alienated being. Everything which the economist takes from you in the way of life and humanity, he restores to you in the form of money and wealth."