How? I am Taoist so there is Yin and Yang. Left and Right. Taoist attempt to have a balance (as nature does) as any extreme high or low has consequences.

There is not a third path really, or in the fight or flee scenario there is 'take away the stick'. But as mentioned the people in general do not have the power, or historically revolutions have changed that. Even in recent times the Brexit or Trump phenomenon is a response to the fact that politics or politicians don't listen. Maybe arguably that is a flaw in democracy but in reality nothing better has been devised.

Certainly in UK and maybe in US as well things have just changed for a general person. Gone are the days for example of a job for life and earning a suitable pension. The baby boomer generation have grown up but it's not the same world that their children face.

If there was a better system you think it would have evolved by now. Democracy is supposed to work but when people lose faith or give up there is either a sea change or apathy.

The problem is that we pay lip service to this thing called democracy every day when it doesn't exist in the place where we spend most of our lives - work. The workplace is organized purely by hierarchy and employees do not get to vote on anything.

You should check out Richard Wolff on YouTube, he talks a lot of sense. Here's a sample.

https://youtu.be/cRNogzMyX4g

Its this part that should really express the uncertainty some of you older types don't know what to make of. People of my generation have got to face the prospect of being a "jack of all trades" and face an awful pension at the end of a lifetime of job-hopping under the new systems because of it. To rip off an edgy Bane quote, we're born in that uncertainty, molded by it. Some of the kids I teach atm have a more pronounced series of personality traits because of this, but the common complaint about millennials suffering "mass narcissism" can partially be attributed to a need to appear impressive and competent at all times for fear of not being attractive enough to employers. Its that sense of desperation when facing deprivation which really fuels it, because if we can't pick up another job at the drop of a hat, the momentum is gone and you're done for.

Contrary to what you may think, any "ordered system" is less stable than an equilavent disordered system. Thus, organization and governments are in effect causes of instability.
Theoretically, a pure anarchy would be the most stable system, due to its completely disordered nature.
Would a pure anarchy improve quality of life? Probably not. People tend to not like living in fear and are mostly unable to cope with a "ruleless" environment and feel lost when there is absolutely nobody Telling them what to do. Thus is human nature.

Anyway, an interesting, albeit impossible to Implement solution to social problems would be to invert the income pyramid. The higher you climb in terms of decision-making autonomy in any organization, the lower the salary you recieve.
Being that the government politicians would be the worst payed of all. High labour jobs that are more health-degrading should be the highest paying, etc...
So, you either work hard to make good money or sit on your ass and are piss-poor.

It's funny that job hopping considered is a new thing, or a millennial thing. By the time I was 21 I had done several jobs. I worked in outbound and inbound call centers. I had hung drywall. I did roofing for a little while. I had done some mechanic work on the side. I also had a couple of jobs that can't be listed here. I worked at a Cinder Block Factory. I managed movie theaters. This is nothing new. That is what people do as they try to find their place in the world.

You're telling me that more millennials are doing that than in past generations? I don't buy it. You're telling me that people can't have tenure in their careers? Not believing you. So these millennials that get into ridiculous amounts of debt getting their law or medicine degree are only going to be lawyers and doctors for 5-10 years? Guys going to trade schools to be mechanics and welders only have a 7 year shelf life? Drywallers, framers, roofers, electricians, plumbers and contractors are all of a sudden going to stop making that a life long career choice? Trade skill jobs aren't going away. Careers are still going to be there. But, if you think you're going to jump into a new tech company and make tons of money, you're going to be switching jobs a lot. The only people in tech companies that make money are the founders, the rest are worker bees. You better come up with your own idea because jumping from the hot new thing to the hot new thing every time there's a hot new thing won't cut it.

But yeah, pensions are done. Need to invest your money in a 401k

Just to throw some numbers at you Sixty, average duration per-job of under 30's in the UK is 1.5 - 2 years. Above that and they start looking considerably better. These are for past jobs, not current ones, so yes I stand behind my statement.

Yeah, that would reflect exactly what I stated. You spend your 20's figuring out wtf you want to do with life. Sometime in the mid20s to early 30s you figure out and settle into a career. Of course 30+yr old people look better in terms of job tenure. A large portion of them have already settled into careers.

What a surprise! Someone under 30 has less than 2 years of tenure. That's not a phenomenon exclusive to the millennial generation. Pretty sure that when the majority of Gen-Xers were in their 20s, the stats were close to what they are now.

Decent stuff. The difference with democracy at work versus at locale is a local MP can canvas for the whole of his constituency but that is based on what is good for that community locally. Party politics of course has a wider national agenda. Employees however work for many companies and yes union's aside (and even then) they have no real voice but a typical good sized constituency will have literally hundreds if not thousands of companies working within its catchment and a lot of the population, especially is more rural work for companies that may not even be in that constituency.

The workforce therefore will never be able to have a voice or democracy as 1 person 1 vote as you cannot control companies like that.

Why can't you control companies like that? Why do they have to be privately owned by a small group of ultra-rich? Why should they get to make decisions that affect people's lives without any input from those people?

Have you been colluding with Elbonians lately, Hakeem?

I guess its where the term capitalism came from. Why do they have to be privately owned by a small group of ultra-rich? Because it needs capital to start it. This is where banks come in or these days venture capitalists. In some ways it is now possible to create a product or service and have it marketed and viable as a revenue generator due to the modern internet communication revolution. In the past historically the rich as land owners or via heredity or the merchant class had a means (capital) to generate money. Hence the rich got richer. Of course if you understand things like the power of gearing your returns can be great. Ideas too and in course in particular in modern times can be the source of value. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Unless you balance things out across the many (you can argue this is where socialism came from) there is not the critical mass and importantly decision making (= power) that creates value.

Or put another way name me one significant business or organisation today that has such an influence from having started from the many. Very few right? It cuts across all forms of modern life and where wealth is created and is generated and perpetuated. Sport (rich players - the few and not the many. Film Stars. Pop stars. I could go on but you get the idea.

Politics of course should be where it can be addressed and yes the many, with little individual power, can be enfranchised but its sad to say political history (as far as I am aware) in any country has never really succeeded in a genuine wealth distribution from rich to poor. Taxes may work but it is the rich that are best placed to reduce (though fair means or foul).

There are companies (co-operatives) that do in general achieve the aim - the benefits shared amongst the many members. But in business terms those types of businesses are well over shadowed by the larger organisations where ownership is shared by the few (even in large PLC's where in reality it is hedge funds and the like that can hold a good percentage of the capital and smaller or private companies are held by a much smaller group.

I am probably oversimplifying but even as far back as Plato in his Republic argued that everyone has a natural role and society is best served if they were to do that. In principal yes (maybe) but I don't think politics (or in reality Politicians) bar maybe a few have ever tried to ever imagine that utopia is even remotely possible.

Again a much better historian could probably argue otherwise but I can't think of any modern day examples where this can be argued as true.

This brings to mind quite possibly the most damaging court decision in US history, Citizens United which states in basic terms, "The richer you are, the more say in Governmental policy you have". That's not what the decision was about but the consequences HAD to be glaringly obvious to the Court and if not then none of them belong in a position of authority.
I haven't checked any statistics but I'm pretty sure a pinpoint of upward trend in our country's income disparity is right there staring us in the face.
I know we are worldwide here but I shall assume you all know what that Supreme Court pertains to. If not, look it up and marvel at the nads on that one!

One of the reasons I speak with great pride in how I helped start this forum is you introspective, intellegent sons a bitches!
Great to hear opinions from around the world.
On topic about money and power I beg you listen to this.

Very nice vid. I don't think the establishment will buy it until they're forced to though.

Wow, this board is on life support. Didn't think it was gon die this quick

it's summer so that might be it.

Joker's contest is going which is awesome for me, and Kel just made me a new cartouche deck. I'll still come here everyday and try to keep things going. Gem is organzing some events too which is cool.

Damn, I should have rethought that whole Diablo 3 thing. But I'm still right about HS. Glad this thread has been around for over 3 years, gives me the opportunity to go back and see all the "fun" we used to have.

Remember that time when mjack lied to us about NOT making 60,000 character posts in the future?

Should we all make our snowflake thread saying we're leaving? Or should we just make ONE goodbye thread for everyone to post in?

Well TBH there's sweet FA to talk about now. Short of this being "the originals" club message board, since even the tournaments looked like a non-starter.