This morning I went to the grocery store to pick up some bananas. When I got to the check-out counter I was met with the all-too-common person: A service-industry employee who seems to be going out of their way to broadcast how bored, miserable, and unfulfilled they are with their job. Oh, she said all the things she was supposed to say (“How are you?”, “That’ll be $1.63”, etc) and nothing more, but the way she said them would make you want to slit your wrists. When she got to the “Have a Nice Day” part, she didn’t even come close to making eye contact, preferring to stare into space like a zombie on quaaludes.
During my brief encounter with her I tried to think of something to say that would brighten her day, something that could relieve the drudgery of her existence, something that wasn’t just another stupid cliche, not just for her benefit but for mine as well. But as usual I just didn’t have the mental energy to come up with anything. So I walked out of the store feeling worse than when I walked in. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t her intention, but it’s the often inevitable result.
As I was walking back to my car I got to thinking about deadend low-wage jobs in general and all the people who are stuck in them, living those “lives of quiet desperation” Thoreau wrote about. And I was reminded of some recent TV news segments I’d seen featuring the latest batch of “success gurus”. One of their favorite mantras is: “Do what you love and the success will follow”. Another one is “Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life”. It’s the same old bullshit they were peddling decades ago. But with this current economic downturn, the sharks are coming out in droves to prey on the increased supply of desperate suckers.
Do what you love and the success will follow, huh? Tell that to the 95%+ of musicians, bands, and singer/songwriters who have barely made a penny doing what they love. At best they can keep their music as a hobby on the side while they pay the bills doing something else, something for which “love” probably isn’t too dearly felt.
Do what you love and the success will follow, huh? If this were truely a realistic option for everybody, then who would be left to clean our public toilets, remove our garbage, or wash our dishes when we eat out at a restaurant? And even if all these jobs could be automated or done by robots, where would that leave all the people who used to do them? Can they all achieve success just by doing what they love?
Hmm, let’s see: I love watching movies, listening to music, eating Ben & Jerry’s, playing Wallyball (it’s so fun!), travelling to other countries, and oh yeah, having sex (who doesn’t?). But I’ve yet to think of a way to get paid for doing any of those things. In fact, they usually cost money. (insert sex joke here)
Another problem is that even if you’re good at something you love, that’s not enough to be successful at it. Here’s why: You know those handful of jobs you would love doing? Guess what: They’re the same jobs everyone else would love doing. So you can’t just be good. You need to be really, really, really good. You need to be better than almost anyone else at it. And then, just maybe then, you might be able to have a sustainable career doing what you love. And you’d be one of the lucky few.
What these asshole success gurus always leave out of the equation in this ######-up “free-market” capitalist system is the simple fact that for one person to be at the top, someone else needs to be at the bottom. (uh, insert sex joke here?) No matter what field you’re in, there just isn’t enough room for everyone who enters it to be successful. Most of us are eventually gonna have to end up settling for something less than what we had hoped. And it isn’t because we were lazy and didn’t try hard enough. It’s because we just didn’t have what it takes. Nature dealt us an inferior genetic hand. Despite what the success gurus and self-help con artists try to tell you, we can’t all be the Alpha.
So where does that leave us? In a pit of despair and hopelessness? I don’t have all the answers, but one thing I would do is to recommend we follow the example of what has worked very well in most Western European countries. You know, those places where people live longer and healthier, have far less crime, are better educated, and homelesness and poverty are virtually non-existent.
Remember that news story a couple years ago that found Denmark to be the happiest country on earth? http://abcnews.go.com/2020/comments?type=story&id=4086092
They found that one of the reasons for their contentedness is that the Danish just don’t expect much. There isn’t this relentless desire and push for everyone to be rich and famous and have more than the other guy that is so engrained in our “American dream” mentality. People who fail to make six figure salaries aren’t scorned as “losers”. But even more importantly, the people in Denmark who do get stuck doing the crap jobs that eveybody hates get paid far better than we would and have to work less hours. Duh!?! It’s so obvious. This should be a no-brainer. When you combine miserable jobs with miserable poverty-level incomes, the people who do them are going to have lives that are….....miserable. The Danish could figure this out. Why can’t we?
But, you ask, if we pay the people at the bottom more for working less hours, where will the extra money to pay them come from? There are plenty of ways to do this. Off the top of my head, how about an extra penny or two in sales taxes? Personally, I’d be more than happy to pay a couple extra cents for my bananas if it meant that next time the lady at the check-out counter is actually smiling, actually looking me in the eyes, and actually means it when she says “Have a Nice Day”.
So, you want to encourage, and even reward, mediocrity, and, as you imply “Genetic inferiority’?
I don’t have all the answers, but one thing I would do is to recommend we follow the example of what has worked very well in most Western European countries. You know, those places where people live longer and healthier, have far less crime, are better educated, and homelesness and poverty are virtually non-existent..
Also, i dont think that is exactly accurate. “Virtually non-existent”?
The number of homeless people in Western Europe is at its highest level in 50 years, with homelessness levels not seen since the end of World War II…
* according to the European Observatory on Homelessness (2003), some 3 million people have no fixed home of their own, while a further 15 million people live in sub-standard or overcrowded accommodation. These 18 million individuals represent 5% of the total population and they include considerable numbers of women and young people;
* despite data limitations, the latest available evidence on homelessness across Europe demonstrates a complex picture in relation to the level, trends and nature of the phenomenon. The highest recorded rates of homeless people accepting services and people sleeping rough in Western Europe are found in Germany, France and the UK, where between 4 and 12 per thousand of the population is estimated to be homeless. All other countries in the region have homelessness rates of less than 2 per thousand;
Official unemployment rates have risen considerably across Europe. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European community, unemployment in the member countries of the EU in March 2009 totalled over 20 million. This represents an increase of 4 million compared to March 2008.
These official figures do not accurately reflect the real situation. First of all, no current figures are available for some countries and, secondly, all governments use various statistical tricks to exclude many millions of unemployed persons.
In Britain, nearly 1.5 million people applied for unemployment benefit in March. This figure represents a more than 80 percent increase compared to one year previously.
In Spain, the official unemployment rate stands at 17.4 percent compared to 10.5 percent in May 2008. Unemployment has doubled over the same period in Ireland, while unemployment has trebled in the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia in the space of one year.
In countries such as Germany and Austria, the growth in unemployment has been largely delayed by the widespread introduction of short-time working. In April 2009, 2 million workers were working short-time in Germany. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) forecasts a drastic rise in unemployment in Germany to over 5 million in the coming months.
The EU and all European governments are using mass unemployment in order to implement cuts to wages and social conditions. This applies to all governments irrespective of whether they are social-democratic or conservative. The European Commission has become synonymous with deregulation, liberalisation and the dismantling of employee rights.
i know, i know; stupid facts getting in the way of your awesome thesis. nice writing, tho, really. i enjoyed reading it.
So, you want to encourage, and even reward, mediocrity, and, as you imply “Genetic inferiority’?
You’re misinterpretting. Where did I say I “encourage” mediocrity? My point is that mediocrity & inferiority are going to be inevitable. And the only “reward” I suggest is a larger paycheck for doing the crap jobs that all of us hate & the least of us get stuck doing.
pfff - 18 October 2009 03:52 PM
I don’t have all the answers, but one thing I would do is to recommend we follow the example of what has worked very well in most Western European countries. You know, those places where people live longer and healthier, have far less crime, are better educated, and homelesness and poverty are virtually non-existent..
Also, i dont think that is exactly accurate. “Virtually non-existent”?
What part of europe have you visited?
All over: Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, even poorer eastern countries like Poland and Lithuania. I never saw anyone begging on the street. And I spent several months there.
So I’ll reverse your question: In what part of Western Europe did you find all this homelessness?
Andy Palast thanx for the good thinking and writing..I have had some of the same thinking but have never articulated eloquently as you have..
Stick around..the waters fine…
\Most of us are eventually gonna have to end up settling for something less than what we had hoped. And it isn’t because we were lazy and didn’t try hard enough. It’s because we just didn’t have what it takes. Nature dealt us an inferior genetic hand. Despite what the success gurus and self-help con artists try to tell you, we can’t all be the Alpha.
Whats the saying
expectation is disappointment in disguise..
With music, art, food prep, a lot of that stuff.. the curve is just subjective..so if you’re judged below par in those areas that’s on you..you are a victim of comparing your self with others..my advice..if you need to feel better about yourself by comparing your self to others..lie to yourself… it feels better works for me..
If you’re an engineer, a medical professional..a scientists..things that require real skills and knowledge that must be adhered to work…my advice… try harder, study more..and find your level of competence..those professions pay pretty good too..if you’re not smart enough for those professions..
Try saying you’re a writer..you won’t get much money but you can delude yourself into thinking you’re smarter than you really are..I’m all into self delusion..If none of that works try
getting into a religion..These churches are great at taking losers and telling them they’ll have a crown in heaven when they die if they just grin and hit that cash register for Jesus…
They found that one of the reasons for their contentedness is that the Danish just don’t expect much. There isn’t this relentless desire and push for everyone to be rich and famous and have more than the other guy that is so engrained in our “American dream” mentality.
I’m all for lowering expectations ( especially when it comes to a mate, dumber uglier women make better wives)...Also self delusion is a fabulous tool..almost as good as the real thing..
virtual reality is also great for building psuedo self esteem.
.I actually believe that people are interested in what I have to say and value my opinion..You’re reading this aren’t you..I must be smart..
The Danish could figure this out. Why can’t we?
But, you ask, if we pay the people at the bottom more for working less hours, where will the extra money to pay them come from? There are plenty of ways to do this. Off the top of my head, how about an extra penny or two in sales taxes? Personally, I’d be more than happy to pay a couple extra cents for my bananas if it meant that next time the lady at the check-out counter is actually smiling, actually looking me in the eyes, and actually means it when she says “Have a Nice Day”.
What do you think about mandatory antidepressants for menial jobs..I’m all for Happiness through pharmacology…I here Lexapro is fabulous.. those danes got the alcohol and the weed to help take the edge off..
So, you want to encourage, and even reward, mediocrity?
Jesus Christ Yes..most of us are mediocre or below..any bone that gets thrown our way is good..Beside the superior get all the breaks..we need to spread the love around.
Only the mediocre are at their best always. Woody Allen
Remember, you said it was “virtually nonexistent”. A simple google search will show you that is nowhere near accurate. Lower than the us, per capita, perhaps, but not “virtually nonexistent”.
You’re misinterpretting. Where did I say I “encourage” mediocrity? My point is that mediocrity & inferiority are going to be inevitable.
You didnt say ‘encourage’, nor did i imply you said so. that was my interpretation of your thesis.
Do low wage jobs suck? yes. Is someone free to alter their situation in order to find better employment or a lower-cost of living? yes.
And the only “reward” I suggest is a larger paycheck for doing the crap jobs that all of us hate & the least of us get stuck doing.
the ‘least of us’ statistically, or genetically? because per capita, i think most people have low-wage jobs. it’s how the pyramid works.
the ‘least of us’ statistically, or genetically? because per capita, i think most people have low-wage jobs. it’s how the pyramid works.
Piffy you have made many references to living with out much money..I think the folks at home would be interested in your expertise..I’m dying to try some nettles..as soon as I figure out what they look like I’m gonna eat some..Would dig it if you’d start a thread about how to live better for less. It looks like we all might need to learn these skills.
The highest recorded rates of homeless people accepting services and people sleeping rough in Western Europe are found in Germany, France and the UK, where between 4 and 12 per thousand of the population is estimated to be homeless. All other countries in the region have homelessness rates of less than 2 per thousand;
Thanx Piffy for fact checking…
The homeless thing is just weird and sad.. Every time I see a guy walking around with a pack, and it’s getting cold and wet..I feel for the guy..I’ve spent a few nights in the cold and wet and it’s not fun..Then again there have always been travelers, hobos, and vagabonds..I’ve met some homeless guys who particularly enjoy being out doors especially during the warm months..There have been Gypsies in Europe for 100s of years..Our gypsies live at the Walmart parking lot.
The highest recorded rates of homeless people accepting services and people sleeping rough in Western Europe are found in Germany, France and the UK, where between 4 and 12 per thousand of the population is estimated to be homeless. All other countries in the region have homelessness rates of less than 2 per thousand;
10 out of a 1000 doesn’t seem that bad,,unless you’re one of the 10..
One thing I get from visiting those European countries is that there does seem to be more nurturing for the arts, more universal health care, fewer guns, more tolerance..a little less violent crime..great food .(.except in the UK those guys make some bland food)..I think the reason for the better quality of life in some of those European countries is it is easier to govern a smaller country..we’re talking about countries with a land mass equal to a medium size state..It seems the bigger the country, the less people feel capable of enacting positive change..due to the feeling of being anonymous. Perhaps another thread…
The number of homeless people in Western Europe is at its highest level in 50 years, with homelessness levels not seen since the end of World War II…
* according to the European Observatory on Homelessness (2003), some 3 million people have no fixed home of their own, while a further 15 million people live in sub-standard or overcrowded accommodation. These 18 million individuals represent 5% of the total population and they include considerable numbers of women and young people;
* despite data limitations, the latest available evidence on homelessness across Europe demonstrates a complex picture in relation to the level, trends and nature of the phenomenon. The highest recorded rates of homeless people accepting services and people sleeping rough in Western Europe are found in Germany, France and the UK, where between 4 and 12 per thousand of the population is estimated to be homeless. All other countries in the region have homelessness rates of less than 2 per thousand;
Official unemployment rates have risen considerably across Europe. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European community, unemployment in the member countries of the EU in March 2009 totalled over 20 million. This represents an increase of 4 million compared to March 2008.
These official figures do not accurately reflect the real situation. First of all, no current figures are available for some countries and, secondly, all governments use various statistical tricks to exclude many millions of unemployed persons.
In Britain, nearly 1.5 million people applied for unemployment benefit in March. This figure represents a more than 80 percent increase compared to one year previously.
In Spain, the official unemployment rate stands at 17.4 percent compared to 10.5 percent in May 2008. Unemployment has doubled over the same period in Ireland, while unemployment has trebled in the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia in the space of one year.
In countries such as Germany and Austria, the growth in unemployment has been largely delayed by the widespread introduction of short-time working. In April 2009, 2 million workers were working short-time in Germany. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) forecasts a drastic rise in unemployment in Germany to over 5 million in the coming months.
The EU and all European governments are using mass unemployment in order to implement cuts to wages and social conditions. This applies to all governments irrespective of whether they are social-democratic or conservative. The European Commission has become synonymous with deregulation, liberalisation and the dismantling of employee rights.
i know, i know; stupid facts getting in the way of your awesome thesis. nice writing, tho, really. i enjoyed reading it.
No, those facts don’t really get in the way of anything. Your new figures don’t surprise me. For one, I was there in 2006-7 before the US-originating global economic collapse. So I’m sure homelessness and hardship have increased in Europe since. But I can bet their numbers still fall far short of ours. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if they eventually catch up with us on the misery index. Your link provides one reason why:
“The European Commission has become synonymous with deregulation, liberalisation and the dismantling of employee rights.”
(by “liberalisation” they mean trade liberalisation, i.e. -making it easier for the rich to exploit and victimize the working class)
In other words, exactly what many progressives always warned would happen under an EC system that has become increasingly influenced by the same Reaganite/Thatcherite corporatists that have been running the US into the ground for the last 30 years. It’s another no-brainer: When shareholder profits become the sole consideration, economic misery for everyone outside the shareholder class ensues.
“The number of homeless people in Western Europe is at its highest level in 50 years, with homelessness levels not seen since the end of World War II.”
Again, this is no surprise at all when you connect the dots. After the devastation of WWII most European countries rebuilt with new systems that included comprehensive social safety nets. Stuff like free college education for all, free healthcare, free housing for the disadvantaged, universal paid maternity leave, etc. You’d have to go out of your way to end up homeless in a society like that. But then in the 90’s the EU formed and began a slow steady creep towards a more US-style economic system. And then Surprise, Surprise!: They start to get US-style homelessness too.
So when I talk about following a European model, I’m talking about the successful European economies that existed before the recent “deregulation, liberalisation and the dismantling of employee rights” that your link correctly points out.
Also in your link:
‘In broad terms, the proportion of foreign-born nationals, both among the street homeless and among those using homeless services, is increasing to the point that in some countries they form a majority.”
In other words, those w/o full citizenship can’t take advantage of Europe’s traditionally generous social services or work assistance programs and are thus far more likely to be homeless.
So yeah, thanks for informing me that homelessness is on the rise in Europe. But how exactly does that contradict my point again?
Do low wage jobs suck? yes. Is someone free to alter their situation in order to find better employment or a lower-cost of living? yes.
You make it sound so easy. They’re only as free as their abilities and the available job market allow. Are you seriously arguing that everyone is capable of getting the better and higher-paying jobs?
What do you think about mandatory antidepressants for menial jobs..I’m all for Happiness through pharmacology…I here Lexapro is fabulous..
Ha! Hmmm, I don’t know about that. Sounds like the beginning of a dystopian sci-fi horror film.
Besides, most of the popular antidepressants on the market have been found in studies to work only slightly better than a placebo and they come with all those pesky sexual side-effects.
Besides, most of the popular antidepressants on the market have been found in studies to work only slightly better than a placebo
I can tell you from real life experience that this is not true..these things are a miracle treatment for many chronically depressed folks….Most of the new modern antidepressants work with few side effects..
and they come with all those pesky sexual side-effects.
You might be talking about anti-psychotics..which is a totally different kind of med..most antidepressants have an opposite effect on sex.. the heightened mood and having more neurotransmitters available to process senses can actually make sex more pleasurable..course it’s different for everyone…..
So yeah, thanks for informing me that homelessness is on the rise in Europe. But how exactly does that contradict my point again?
Because you described poverty and homelessness as being “virtually nonexistent’ in Western Europe, and I was taking exception with such a broad statement.
There are plenty of numbers in available at your fingertips that will show you that plenty of people, per capita, were still homeless and living in levels of poverty in the regions you mention prior to the recent global financial whateverjusthappened. I actually searched for an extra few minutes to provide you with the most recent examples above, lest you claim the initial numbers from 2003 or so were ‘too old’.
I am not taking aim at “Globalism” or “Liberlasm” or whateverism, i’m just saying that your statement was very off-the-cuff and anecdotal and not really supported by the facts as strongly as you seem to want to think.
again, just because you didnt see it doesnt mean it wasnt there.
Yes, minimum wage jobs suck. Me challenging your assertions doesnt make me thomas sowell. I tend to think a more realistic, sober discussion of the basic facts of classism you are referring to would make for a better read. Although i still enjoyed your words nonetheless.
Although, personally, I think people who buy food at grocery stores, especially bananas, in a region like WNC are certainly playing their part in perpetuating the globalization you describe as ruining europe. Unless those were some sort of fair trade hand-delivered bananas from a worker co-op of some kind?
Well, Richey, my experiences with anti-depressants all took place from 1999 - 2003 so I’m not hip to the latest drugs. I just know none of the ones I was prescribed back in the day did a damn bit of good. Your view reminds me of a theory I came up with about depression & anti-depressants. I think there are 2 kinds of depression:
1. Depression caused by a chemical imbalance.
2. Depression caused by situational/environmental factors.
While the former may respond to medication, the latter most likely will not. The problem is that mental health professionals and doctors never bother to distinguish between the two and just prescribe the same stuff to both. But if you’re depressed because you’re stuck in a depressing circumstance and are just responding emotionally to that objective reality in a completely understandable & rational way, how is a mind-altering substance going to improve things? In fact, if all it does is produce temporary euphoria or numbness, it may actually hinder your ability to address & deal with the root cause of the problem.
