The current lockdown conditions are clearly very difficult for some people and families, but perhaps less inconvenient for others. Does it offer an opportunity to think about what kind of society we really want, or are we just going to go back to "more of the same" as this event very gradually comes under control?
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I find it hard to believe that many people are going to buy the whole line on austerity, since the magic money tree has been discovered. I'd like this to result in something like we had post-WW2, creation of the NHS etc.Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
Still, I know not to underestimate the lengths the mainstream media will go to ensure this doesn't happen - and people's propensity to believe that it can't or shouldn't happen.Comment
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MrGG beat me to it. There is no such thing as 'normal'; things just evolve. I suspect that some aspects of life will alter but they may not necessarily be the ones we'd like to see.Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
This crisis has shown who the essential workers really are and I'd hope that they are justly rewarded in terms of pay and conditions. Not holding my breath though."The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard HaitinkComment
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It would be good if the 'everyone has to work in the office' genie doesn't get stuffed straight back in the bottle. We've been hearing the distance working thing for decades but management doesn't like not seeing the whites of the eyes - doesn't trust the workforce to do what they're paid for unless they are physically present - and so it hasn't happened.Comment
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Near-neighbours all work for Santander, all now on home workstations.... the daughter is currently on the nightshift as part of the callcentre diaspora.....
Has to be part of the future surely....Comment
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Indeed - well said! The amount of money sloshing around bears less and less relationship to its social worth in a world of widening inequalities where more and more is left to "the market" to decide who gets what and how much of it.Originally posted by Joseph K View PostComment
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While some things evolve, other seem to be regressing - I'm sure there is a reciprocal relationship in there somewhere, though it would take more than the forum's collective attention span to explain.Originally posted by Petrushka View PostComment
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There is another side to home working, though - as a social activity work has always been important in determining the level of wealth in a society and in reminding who actually creates it. The chances of common ownership becoming reality are lessened if everyone is at home when the police and army moves in to protect private ownership of the means of production. This is what I tell people who claim social and political change comes at the touch of a keyboard.Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
For the sake of environmental sustainability more and more physical work, food production especially, will have to take place in close proximity to the communities needing it. There will need to be another parallel economy, one of no interest to the international finance system, to sustain it. Maybe therein lies our salvation?Comment
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I would hope there was room for improvement in the 'before' set-up due to what is being experienced now before we get to the rather more draconian scenario?Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View PostComment
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The Doughnut Economics ideas may be good - will check those out.Originally posted by Belgrove View Post
More people might enjoy working from home, but others will hate it. Some roads might become quiet enough that apart from the lack of road/traffic noise, kids can play out in the road - which is something I remember from many years ago - but not to be generally recommended in the 21st century. I also remember trying to go down a hill on a soap box cart - I think it was a plank with some wheels strapped on, and mrs d remembers toboganning down a hill and not worrying too much about the traffic on the main(er) road which crossed it at the bottom.
Some people might fret about not being able to get into planes, in order to "get away from it all", while others might actually notice that it's a lot quieter without them, and be less concerned about what things have to be "got away from".
It is obviously necessary for some people to work in order to help (serve?) the rest of us - farmers, and many other people who some of us have probably taken for granted for years. I am grateful to the delivery people, and others doing similar jobs. I doubt that the sewer and water workers are going to get a pay rise when this is all over, nor probably many electricians and telephone engineers.
Otherwise do we really want the full blooded juggernaut of "modern" urbanised and industrial society, with its emphasis on consumerism and a possibly very biased model of economics? I suspect we'll get back to that anyway, but do we really have to?Comment
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I think most people mean something different in "getting back to normal" than politicians, big business and economists. For many it just
means face to face human interaction, meeting friends and family, going for a walk for as long as you want and, as a work colleague put it, for going to work not feeling like a version of Russian Roulette. I'd hope things won't be "the same" after we get back to normal, essential workers being paid their worth etc. especially the end of zero hours contracts as they are currently abused by employers, but I doubt it.Comment
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