[smiley]

Rat race. When I first heard the expression coined I was thinking of a Michael J Fox working his way up from post boy to senior executive, by using unconventional and sometimes hilarious techniques. It was only later that I discovered how dirty and low the game is that is played at our companies. And worse than that I'm now fully involved in those games.

Up to my early thirties I always played fair. I worked hard and hoped that people what people would recognize my talents and reward me accordingly. That didn't exactly happen. I had a good position, and was generally quite happy with my work, but I never made a big step forward. As I was passed left and right two things dawned on me.

The first and most important was Peak Oil. PO is coming and it will undoubtedly represent a major change in everyones lives including mine. I have a responsibility in this towards my wife and family, so I need to prepare. And I need to do that fast. That is the second realization, a sense of urgency.

Since then I have joined the flash crowd. A new wardrobe a new style. I have basically used every trick in the book and a few more. All those things I once considered once too low. I have become that colleague that you probably hate.

And it worked. Lately I have been racking up promotions. I am ashamed to say that two years of lobbying did more for me than ten years of hard work. I just received another promotion, the sole reason being that I went to a company party that my "competitor" skipped to spend an evening with his kids. Pretty sad hey.

It is for a cause, or so I say. It is not because I want a new Porsche or something. I live an ascetic life. All the money I earn goes directly in my bank account as I'm saving for a house with a bit of land which is my preparation for PO.

But as I'm inching towards that goal I have come to wonder whether it is all worth it. I guess that when PO hits many traditional values will be thrown out of the window. But somethimes feel that I have taken a headstart, and have sacrificed part of my integrity already.

Where do you lay the balance, morals, integrity, prosperity or survival?

[Narz]

The fact that you're reflecting on this is a good thing anyway.

You can play the game while still being yourself, while still knowing inside that you're playing it and admitting it to those who question you.

I don't think being grossly immoral is a good idea in a post peak world. Being fake and allowing the immoral to rise to power without stopping them for a sake of a piece of the pie is what got us into this mess. In the future there won't be the buffer of money protecting us from close relations with each other, therefore, I predict, it's going to be more important to be seen as trustworthy and to be well liked.

[kabu]

I agree with Narz, at least you still have a conscience that makes you question what you're doing.

Yeah. I couldn't stand colleagues like you! Worried about your integrity? Pay these guys back. Do for them what the higher ups wouldn't do for you, back when you were different. Be creative and maybe even go about it anonymously.

[kevincarter]

What's the alternative anyway? keep eating s****, get less money and so be able to prepare less or not prepare at all? Would you do that to your fammily?

[Baldwin]

I am a believer in two things: God ; End justifies the means (usually).

For those who know about Peak Oil, shamelessly exploiting "the system" (corporate) in its final decade to prepare for PO as the doom draws near is not only an option but the one we must take. Ruthlessly promoting yourself and kissing ass now will get you salary increases that you can put into guns, gold, and a mountain retreat. Those of us who prepared will get to watch a fine arts major and an accountant duke it out over a sack of meal. (I'll probably be in the business of helping the one who loses.)

You have seen what starving children look like in National Geographic magazine. Know that if you don't do everything now to help them, you'll live all the days of your life with the knowledge that you might have saved them from abject squalor, whose livelihood is derived from Corpgov handouts of gorn/soy gruel in a Fedghetto.

Having said that, don't be seduced by the money. As soon as cracks become visible, and our doom grows darker on our minds, leave. Remember, the dollar only needs 24 hours to collapse. You might want to buy that property sooner rather than later, even if you have to take out a loan.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Baldwin', 'I') am a believer in two things: God ; End justifies the means (usually).

[smiley]

THX for not writing me off straight away.

Except for the financial bit there is also another aspect. I know many here have a similar expectation that PO will turn the tables and will lead to a reinstitution of the working class, sic a society where a man is judged by his abilities and trades. But I think that is a pipe dream.

In the past 12 years I have been in three reorganisations in different companies/ institutions. They are all the same. It is the "grunts" which are made to suffer. If an occasional manager is hurt in the process they usually pick an old person and send them off with a early and luxurious pension. The average worker gets a three months notice.

If you have a position where you have some control, you're much likely to keep your job. Even if your job does not contribute so much to the wellbeing of the company. I guess a job will be a pretty handy asset in the times to come and I'm planning to hang on to mine as long as possible.

[threadbear]

If I was working for a corporation, had a family to support, and was worried about arbitrary dismissal, I'd hire the best damned private spooks I could and dig up as much dirt as possible on as many in senior management as I could.

First sign of trouble, the fat asses would get a big ol' manilla envelope, special delivery to their office, marked confidential, with a note attached indicating that there was lots more where that came from....and btw, I want a promotion, make that 2 promotions.

I'd also let it be known that if anything happened to me, the pics would go directly online. I swear, you think you're playing hardball? You have no idea what hardball is.

[AirlinePilot]

Interesting thread. I think a lot of folks are in the same boat smiley. Truly.

I'm lucky in that i've got a high paying job and Im socking money away now and preparing as best as i can. I consider myself lucky that ive never had to compromise myself. A lot of who i am got me this job. I do what i have always wanted to and i love it. My only regret is that I see now that I'll be one of the first to go as a pilot. This industry will be in trouble before a lot of others. In the end we all likely will see major disruption in our lives and Im working towards mitigating it as much as i can without ruining the present. It is possible we are wrong!

I think a key point to remember is don't sink so low as to regret what your doing later. We are not all going to be part of a die-off so disregarding honor, integrity, and morality now probably isn't the smartest move. In the end all you are going to have is who you are. Personally I dont want to look back and wince at my life.

I'll be as ready as I can and do what i think is prudent, but i will not compromise myself for PO. I really dont think you need to.

[Pops]

I went through what I refer to as my Slacks Period. I grappled a little, made a couple of shark moves, had a few good ideas, worked too much and was away from the family too much but in the end I was still basically the carpenter in the back room in a family owned company.

Of course it wasn’t my family.

I sweated through a lot of shirts and suits, made a few bucks and promptly spent them.

From this vantage I would say the experience taught me quite a bit, and I wouldn’t trade it, but my time probably could have been better spent.

Oh well, seemed like the thing to do at the time.

As far as the renewal of the working class, I am not so sure folks who are judged by their skills have gone as much by the wayside as you seem to think. At some point someone needs to actually do something. Today the grunts are in China or India or Japan and their skills transported to you for pennies, tomorrow, who knows?

Of course to borrow a saying from the olden days (I'll let you fill in the blanks):

______ with no money,
is better than money with no_______

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smiley', 'T')HX for not writing me off straight away.
I know many here have a similar expectation that PO will turn the tables and will lead to a reinstitution of the working class, sic a society where a man is judged by his abilities and trades.

[smiley]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'a')nd now for something really horrifying, bourgeous-boy; the working class do exist. Right under your nose. They wash the dishes where you eat and wash your car and make sure your electricity keeps working and all that stuff. They get their hands dirty. You've been conditioned from birth to never ever see them, but they exist.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smiley', 'T')he average worker gets a three months notice.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smiley', '
')And about me being "conditioned". My mother survived the Japanese CIC (Civil Internment Camps) to seek asylum in Europe. You think you know a bit about poverty and living tough. Have chat with her and you realize that there is a whole spectrum of poor and tough out there that you don't know about and you probably don't want to know about.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', ' ')He'd never have believed a human could do that, or even most dogs. But there he was doing it.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smiley', ' ')Being in that category means a) that you have absolutely no control over your future, and b) when the economy turns a corner you are the first to feel it.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '
')How many janitors do you think will lose their job as a result of the merger?
Plumbers?
Carpenters?
Field workers?

None.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'P')lumber comes from the Latin word plumbum which means lead. These guys will be hard pressed to deal with the implications of no materials distribution. Tools of the trade, Pops: you got no tools, you got no trade.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '
')Mr. Pelton I think was a better salesman tho.

[smiley]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'I') guess my question is whether the one with manual skills is better off in a declining economy than one with political, organizational, persuasive or other office skills.

Of course there are always those willing to be led, organized and persuaded. The problem seems to me is there are many, many with some amount of non-skilled talents – and I ain’t talking about laborers.