As I've gotten older, I've remained quite idealistic at heart about social and economic issues... but equally so, as I've grown older I've also grown a little bit more jaded and allowed the more rational part of my brain to be more of an influence in these more idealistic hopes and dreams.

Well.. cryptocurrency had been part of the idealistic part of me... and I still hold out some hopes and wishes that it will eventually fulfill its potential in the future. However, the recent bull runs and the almost whole-hearted focus on numbers go up and get rich quick ideas has left me more than a bit sad on the inside. Still, the potential is there that, even if not all the fundamental principles of decentralisation are filled in full... that there will be enough remaining to institute some radical fundamental changes in society. Piety about people and money screwing everything up... always.

Anyway, in that vein... in Netherlands, I had read a little bit of the historian Rutger Bregman in Dutch. A bit of heavy reading for a newcomer to the Dutch language... but I sort of prefer reading about that sort of thing instead of novels and other fluff.

Anyway, I just heard that the original writings and articles had been translated and published in English... and expanded upon.

... and this might be just the book for me. An idealist vision (Utopia...) but with realistic ideas and concepts backing them. So, the Utopian principles... but with an acknowledgement that we exist in the real world with real people... and that bad intentions and economic incentives exist, and that they can be perverted.

These are ideas that jibe with my current stage in life... the highly idealistic core beliefs... but tainted with the acceptance that the perfect is often the enemy of the good.... and that despite the best intentions, the path to Utopia is likely going to be gamed and corrupted to death... as well as full of unexpected and unintended consequences.

So, this book touches upon topics such as an Universal Basic Income, Open Borders, and a working week of around 15-20 hours. These are crazily uncommon ideas... but as a musician, there are already a good deal of things in there that already make sense. The concept of factory-like office hours that grind you down in the prime of your life... well, it is strange that this is the mass delusion of what is "normal" and desirable!

Sure, there will be lots of people who scoff immediately at these concepts and deem them to be unworkable... and definitely that might be the case if nothing about society changed... but I think the problem isn't the ideas that are being floated, but that the concept of the economy and society are fundamentally broken, and the don't serve the bulk of the population... but instead serve the narrow interests of a small minority who benefit quite significantly from the status quo.

Anyway, this is going to be great holiday reading... I hate swimming at the beach, so whilst my family is out there in the waves... I will be found on the sand, reading and devouring these ideas!

I can also be found cross-posting at:
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Publish0x

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