Capitalism (or, Cogs in the Corporate Machine)

Why do we work so hard?

Science fiction is often the precursor for things to come. In Star Trek, we got our first glimpse of cell phones and doors that open when someone gets close to them. That's fairly common. Science fiction writers envision cool new stuff, young scientists figure out how to make it happen.

I read a science fiction book awhile back, I believe it was called Childhood's End (but it could be a different book). What struck me is that the author described how with the advancement of machines and automation, the world's goods were produced largely without mankind's assistance.

Working was made obsolete.

Essentially, the author described the society where everyone had what they needed, and were free to pursue other passions. They could create art and music, they could travel, they could study history and philosophy. People continued to work, but only on things they were passionate about. They didn't work simply to keep this big global machine spinning. They weren't just a cog. They were people.

Sadly, this science fiction dream has not been realized. Doctor Pastor Craig Finnestad once said in a sermon that the washing machine, the every day device that washes our clothes for us, was supposed to make our lives easier for us. It was supposed to give us more time for other interests. Instead, what it did was drastically increase our standards of cleanliness. We are now hyper critical about getting rid of every spot on our clothes -- God forbid we wear the same jeans twice without washing them. It's ridiculous to the point of O.C.D. Why?


There were times where 12 hour days and 6 or 7 day work weeks was the norm. Now our society has progressed to the 40 hour work week. Why not take it down to 35? Or 20?

We're trained to believe that we need to work so that we can BUY BUY BUY more STUFF STUFF STUFF. So, instead of living our lives, we work our lives away pursuing an ever increasing standard of materialism. Greed governs our very existence. They don't paint it that way. It's described as the American Dream. Supplying for your family. Work is noble, work is good. Laziness is disgusting. Buy buy buy buy buy, screams every commercial, every radio program, every store shop window, every billboard, every newspaper, every magazine....

And economists tell us that if consumer confidence isn't restored - if we don't start spending - we'll lose our jobs. So, if you don't BUY BUY BUY, you might not be able to EAT EAT EAT.

What if we could make a different kind of society? I'm not an Anthropologist (I'm hoping Heather will chime in here), but what were tribes like before the birth of the capitalist monster? They weren't all concerned with getting more stuff. They worked enough to eat and live, and then they enjoyed their lives.

It's so hard to envision such a society. We've been told all our lives that capitalism and democracy are good and holy, and we need to spread these ideals to the rest of the world. I think that's a whisper from the breath of big business, because they don't want their little cogs to stop turning.