125 comments on I Dream of GINI - Wealth (In)equality after Resource Depletion
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125 comments on I Dream of GINI - Wealth (In)equality after Resource Depletion
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It depends, perhaps, on just what those expectations are. From what I see, the evidence is that people do not generally expect the level of wages and income and employment to be back where they were in 2007; most people I talk with realize that money will be tighter and the good times will be somewhat muted.
As for civil unrest, this is highly unlikely to come from the unemployed. It is far more likely to come from groups of people with bizarre and twisted "issues" (like the so-called birthers or tea-baggers). While it is true that there is a lot of violence in the society, most people just want peace and a sense of security--and leave the protests to fringe groups. And if society collapses, as some expect, and particularly the energy and food distribution systems, people will be far more likely to spend their time finding food and energy than in protesting or venting their anger.
I'm sure the sheep will go peacefully to the slaughter,as they always have.
Epochal change has never been achieved by a consensus among the sheep.Wolves are necessary for this task.
The current hierarchy are not wolves - more like rats.Like rats they will survive,in greater or lesser numbers,but their place is in their holes.Part of our present problems is that the rats have climbed to higher ground.A positional reset is in the offing.
>Epochal change has never been achieved by a consensus among the sheep.Wolves are >necessary for this task.
Hmm...what about the French/Russian/American revolutions? Humans aren't sheep and have a breaking point, even the downtrodden ones among us.
Ah, the 'counterexamples'. All organised by people just outside, or constrained to the lower levels of, the existing elites -- with a few key players already inside those elites. Of course, the revolutionaries enlisted the support of the 'downtrodden'.
Precisely! However I still believe that the problem is that unrest will follow because the masses are still being sold a basket of unfulfillable promises. They are being led to believe that their happiness depends on "THINGS", which they unfortunately will no longer be able to have. I hope that you are right that people only want a sense of security and peace, however it is the massive inequality of the few that have, compared to the majority that already do not, that has tipped the balance towards unrest historically.
I grew up in a simpler poorer society myself and agree with Nedge's perspective in Gail's most recent post up top "Life After the Crash: Lessons from Kenya". The reason they are happier is they do not have false expectations, we on the other hand are living in delusion and can't by definition be happy under these circumstances.
Unfortunately what you say about protest being left to fringe groups does not jive with the tremendous increase in the average Joe's going out and purchasing all the guns and ammunition they can find right now. Go talk to some gun dealers, business is booming (no pun intended), like never before. They can't keep guns and ammo in stock. I'm sure they think it will bring them peace and security and lot's of happiness. Me I'm just a little worried but I still refuse to have a gun of my own... well except for my spear gun for fishing.