A slave by definition really CAN'T quit, without facing physical threat

in #selfemployment7 years ago

I know I reblogged the OP, but I wanted to include some rebuttal at the outset.

https://busy.org/@ericdubay/how-to-quit-your-slave-job-and-live-your-dream-life

That's a very inspiring video.
I have been self-employed (with a very few stints of working for others) for nearly 30 years, much of which time has been "following my dreams" (that's a bad turn of phrase, by the way), and the rest of it taking care of the bills to enable that pursuit. At no point has the manifestation of that "dream" EVER brought material prosperity beyond poverty. I may not exactly derive pleasure or comfort from that, but I have learned to accept it. The "dream" is more important than my comfort and personal gratification, and perhaps more important than my life. I'd much rather call it a "vision".
If I found a person or company, or they found me, that was engaging in realizing some aspect of that vision more effectively, I could easily justify surrendering to what's called slavery in this video- any and all employment for ANYBODY ELSE, and any and all financial support of collective society. I have done it several times in the past, and might do so again, old as I am now. I don't object AT ALL to paying taxes to build roads I don't and may never use- I object to feeding the war machines of empire. The two are NOT the same, however much they are intentionally intertwined by TPTB. For one thing, those taxes I've paid (and my parents' generation) in the past are part of what enables the ONLY predictable stipend and economic security I have left.
My business is subject to EVERY SINGLE ONE of the faults with employment listed in the video, with a far greater threat added by competition, both fair and unfair. It could end tonight, as I type this. Fortunately, only myself and wife would suffer from that demise, we have no employees.
There are very valid questions begged by the economic hedonism espoused here-
"Who cleans the sewers?"
"Who collects the trash?"
"Who takes care of the plumbing, and who takes care of filing the requisition to get the materials?"
The same question over and over, phrased differently- specifically who, in THIS world, would maintain civilization, doing only what they loved? Not just the feel-good stories, real but rare, of the garbage haulers, farmhands, servers, office personnel, etc. that actually make the world run?
Until automation replaces nearly ALL of them (the very real people who actually LOVE those jobs, with the augmentation the machines offer could actually compete with automation effectively in those few more generations), those people deserve much more than the rock stars, the skateboard champs, the YouTube sensations of the moment, for quite literally keeping the world together- and all those who HATE those jobs, but do them anyway, also deserve so much more.
What truly needs to happen is the world's inequity leveled at least somewhat, because the status quo, with centuries of momentum behind it, thrives far more on hubris than humility, respect for all living things, and the biggie, LOVE. All three are interdependent, and all threaten the status quo. If we, ALL of us, instruct children, ALL of them, with those over-riding principles, I think you'd find the brilliant ones will inevitably blaze their own paths, and those that aren't the blazing stars, but just good kids, will find something that they want to do that actually helps others around them, or at large in the world.
As a teacher, I find that kids will always want to do things their way. Sometimes that includes rejecting what they're told to learn. Sometimes that works well for them, and when it does, I'll adjust my approach. I've never found that to be MORE effective than the methods I've learned, but it works for them, because sometimes they'll simply reject EVERYTHING then. I lost a student today for that reason of total resistance. I'd rather it were otherwise, but I can't force something he doesn't want to learn. After a time, he may change his mind (at 8, I expect nothing else...) What I'm teaching isn't the nuts and bolts of the daily operation of society, though- imagine if training for first responders was like that?
By the way, I have a LOT of difficulty thinking there'd be enough first responders for any major disaster anywhere if their only desire in the first place was wish fulfillment of personal gratification.

P.S.- The biggest drawback to my own employment situation is I can't draw unemployment if I get fired for telling the boss what an asshole he REALLY is...

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