[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'I') read a few of Paul Farrell's commentaries over at MarketWatch. I think he is a guy who 'gets it.'

http://www.marketwatch.com/Journalists/Paul_B_Farrell

Kind of interesting that a quazi main-stream guy would be writing such stuff.

The herd stirs?????

[AgentR11]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Farrel', '6'). Revolution topples dominance of Super Rich capitalists
Capitalism has become a tool of the wealthy, the greedy, the selfish, with a widening income gap between the Super Rich and the other 99% of Americans. This is undermining America’s future and will erupt in increasing class warfare similar to the Arab Spring revolutions fueled by unemployed youth angered by their inequality.

[Serial_Worrier]

The idea as more of the middle class joins the "poverty class", they will vote Democrat and usher in a true socialist paradise!

[AgentR11]

There are tons of the Super Rich that are Democrats. Democrats want to tax income, the Super Rich are not dependent upon income for their wealth.

[nobodypanic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', 'T')he idea as more of the middle class joins the "poverty class", they will vote Democrat and usher in a true socialist paradise!

[Cog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', 'T')he idea as more of the middle class joins the "poverty class", they will vote Democrat and usher in a true socialist paradise!

[Newfie]

I find it preposterous to coach this argument in terms of Republican/Democrat. They are two teams playing by the same rule book By arguing R/D you are limiting your horizon to the world they have defined. It is like going to a casino and arguing with the management that the game is not 'fair.' Of course not, it is rigged to their advantage.

Stop going to the casino, make your own rules. Quit whining and DO something.

P.S. Note to self, read above and take delivery.

[Newfie]

Has anyone read the Richard Heinberg post on the main page???

http://www.postcarbon.org/article/48897 ... -of-growth

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n The Politics of Happiness, former Harvard University president Derek Bok traces the history of the relationship between economic growth and happiness in America.[8] During the past 35 years, per capita income has grown almost 60 percent, the average new home has become 50 percent larger, the number of cars has ballooned by 120 million, and the proportion of families owning personal computers has gone from zero to 80 percent. But the percentage of Americans describing themselves as either “very happy” or “pretty happy” has remained virtually constant, having peaked in the 1950s. The economic treadmill is continually speeding up due to growth and we have to push ourselves ever harder to keep up, yet we’re no happier as a result.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'H')as anyone read the Richard Heinberg post on the main page???

http://www.postcarbon.org/article/48897 ... -of-growth

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')But the percentage of Americans describing themselves as either “very happy” or “pretty happy” has remained virtually constant, having peaked in the 1950s. The economic treadmill is continually speeding up due to growth and we have to push ourselves ever harder to keep up, yet we’re no happier as a result.

[AgentR11]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'S')o when do we step off the treadmill? Or, do you like it?

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'H')as anyone read the Richard Heinberg post on the main page???

http://www.postcarbon.org/article/48897 ... -of-growth

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')n The Politics of Happiness, former Harvard University president Derek Bok traces the history of the relationship between economic growth and happiness in America.[8] During the past 35 years, per capita income has grown almost 60 percent, the average new home has become 50 percent larger, the number of cars has ballooned by 120 million, and the proportion of families owning personal computers has gone from zero to 80 percent. But the percentage of Americans describing themselves as either “very happy” or “pretty happy” has remained virtually constant, having peaked in the 1950s. The economic treadmill is continually speeding up due to growth and we have to push ourselves ever harder to keep up, yet we’re no happier as a result.

[NickyBoy]

I love the treadmill. I love the stress. I love being part of a team and working towards a communal goal, even if I'm not the one who benefits most from achieving that goal. The process of my job invigorates me. Deadlines and difficult logical challenges turn on a part of my brain that otherwise sits dormant, it makes me feel more alive than I do outside of work.

Probably because I only work 35 hours a week

[SeaGypsy]

me 25-30 @ present/ about right for life balance NB

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NickyBoy', 'I') love the treadmill. I love the stress. I love being part of a team and working towards a communal goal, even if I'm not the one who benefits most from achieving that goal. The process of my job invigorates me. Deadlines and difficult logical challenges turn on a part of my brain that otherwise sits dormant, it makes me feel more alive than I do outside of work.

Probably because I only work 35 hours a week

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NickyBoy', 'I') love the treadmill. I love the stress. I love being part of a team and working towards a communal goal, even if I'm not the one who benefits most from achieving that goal. The process of my job invigorates me. Deadlines and difficult logical challenges turn on a part of my brain that otherwise sits dormant, it makes me feel more alive than I do outside of work.

Probably because I only work 35 hours a week

[NickyBoy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'B')ut may I ask...........when you work, does your end product add to the problem or does it ameliorate the problem? Or do you not care so long as you are doing something?

[Newfie]

Nicky,

My reason for asking was this, and it reflects upon my own situation.

Lets say you are a road builder/engineer. A country road gets crowded, so we build a hard two lane road, but that gets full. Sooner or later we end up with a 6 lane divided highway. The engineer is busy, he has a job, he is doing something. BUT, he is contributing to something that is overall detrimental and supportive of an unsustainable growth model.

I work in mass transit, which many folks see as a 'green' job. I know that I did for years and eschewed higher paying jobs in other industries that were not as 'worthy' in my opinion. But now I have come to see what I do as akin to building highways. It really isn't fixing anything, just packing people closer and encouraging a higher population density. To what end?

From your answer I can't draw any conclusions about where you come down on this. If you are making the next iWidiget to amaze and amuse the masses, then I would say you are contributing to consumerism and non-sustainability. But you may be working on computer models to convince our congressmen of the necessity to address AGW, which would surely be a worthwhile endeavor. Improving the insurance process to cut red tape? Sounds pretty good to me on the surface, but it depends upon what they do with their efforts. New life saving drugs would be good I guess. New drill rigs for the arctic, not so much. Sounds like you may not even know what industries will be using your stuff so you need to run on faith.

Whether or not your job is worthwhile to you is none of my business. I merely bring this up to encourage you to ask the question of yourself, as well as any lurkers who are eavesdropping on this conversation.

And.................thanks for your thoughtful answer.

[NickyBoy]

The majority of the software I work on is used a means to reduce the administrative burden of 'real economy' interactions with the financial economy. Its wrapped up and sold under various different names, but that's what it boils down to when you look at the underlying transactions that I have to account for.

I feel that on the whole the financial markets are a burden on the real economy (a strange viewpoint for a financial software developer you may think - but it is one drawn from the experience of being the provider of the interface between the two), but my software reduces this burden.

Am I contributing to improving or worsening general conditions - I honestly don't know. My software is what software should be - a functional tool that makes a complex or repetitive task simple. The end result of that tool being positive or negative would depend on the people that use it. Most companies have a need for it, be they child-murdering blood-diamond miners or Green-technology developers.

Using your own example - it would be akin to asking a man who takes pride in producing well designed shovels if he feels guilty about them being used to make motorways or happy about them being used to plant trees.

[Serial_Worrier]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NickyBoy', 'T')he majority of the software I work on is used a means to reduce the administrative burden of 'real economy' interactions with the financial economy. Its wrapped up and sold under various different names, but that's what it boils down to when you look at the underlying transactions that I have to account for.

I feel that on the whole the financial markets are a burden on the real economy (a strange viewpoint for a financial software developer you may think - but it is one drawn from the experience of being the provider of the interface between the two), but my software reduces this burden.

Am I contributing to improving or worsening general conditions - I honestly don't know. My software is what software should be - a functional tool that makes a complex or repetitive task simple. The end result of that tool being positive or negative would depend on the people that use it. Most companies have a need for it, be they child-murdering blood-diamond miners or Green-technology developers.

Using your own example - it would be akin to asking a man who takes pride in producing well designed shovels if he feels guilty about them being used to make motorways or happy about them being used to plant trees.

[dsula]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', '
')
I agree, as a software engineer there is much more satisfaction working on what I call 'infrastructure' then consumer-stuff.