Labor's Love Lost

Technology is downright wonderful. I never cease to be amazed by the things a personal computer can do, or the things that are available to me on the internet. We live in a very charmed era. We have never had it so good!

Or have we?

The fast pace of progress has blessed us with new ways of doing our work, and new ways, even, of defining work. Although technology does eliminate jobs, doesn't it also create as many or more new jobs as it eliminates?

Unfortunately, there is an uncomfortable latency between the elimination of work and the creation of new work, and society has learned that progress comes in fits and starts, sometimes in quantum leaps, but never in smooth, well-planned transitions.

Our economic system has developed the ability to accomodate this latency at a macro level, but at a micro level it can be tragic. The displaced ditch digger who does not have the skills to become a mechanic for the power trencher that replaced him, suffers real economic hardship until he can acquire the training to move into that new position.

The moral dilemma here, is not that technology replaces or rearranges jobs, but that it does so sporadically, if not randomly, with no plan or consideration for the side effects. Technological improvements make economic sense because they enable efficiency and productivity. But productivity comes at a price.

All of the great "labor saving" inventions of the twentieth century had the effect of eliminating menial drudgery so that people could do their manual chores much quicker. Sewing machines, washing machines, automatic dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, tractors, combines, and many more efficiency aids were designed to convert manual labor into automated or powered tasks. This power and automation was supposed to leave their beneficiaries much more time to enjoy life and pursue "enrichment." We were all supposed to have more leisure time to contemplate art, read good literature, pursue athletic endeavors…

In more recent times, the advent of calculators, computers, cell phones, PDAs, and other productivity aids have made workers in the Information Age more efficient. These electronic advances were enthusiastically embraced because they bore the promise and the lure of more free time to pursue individual enrichment, much like the electrical or mechanical devices did several decades earlier.

But are we enriched? Do we have more leisure time?

Back in the ‘60s a noted efficiency expert famously predicted that if advances in “labor saving” devices continued at its present pace, by the end of the century, the average work week would be less than thirty hours a week and that the average weekly salary would be significantly higher. His prediction foretold of a Utopia in which we were all destined to become better off and not have to work as hard.

Do you see any more leisure time now than you did ten, twenty, or thirty years ago? Chances are you have much less. Why?

It seems to be human nature that when we eliminate menial tasks, we find other tasks, not leisure pursuits, to fill our time. Free time never increases. Competition now dictates that we multi-task and that we work in places that were never considered workplaces before: on an airplane, in a car talking on a cell phone, in a hotel, at home at night, or even on a vacation! We are all working more, not less, than our parents did. We are filling our "leisure" time with more work!

Because we see an opportunity to use time that has been freed up to “get ahead” we now go to extraordinary lengths to maximize our ability to work. People do this because it is their nature, and companies institutionalize it. It is now the norm and the expectation.

It's no wonder that there is a palpable undercurrent in our society to "get back to basics" or return to simpler times. Labor saving devices rarely do "save" labor and multi-tasking is not the Holy Grail of success. Both are simply insidious deceptions which enslave us and rob us of our liesure.

Am I a Ludite? No.

Do I advocate doing away with technology? No.

But I do believe that we as a society need to awaken to the reality of technological progress and it's chimeric promises. In many ways we are much better off than we were fifty years ago. In other, equally important ways, we are much worse off. Can we find a way to reap the physical and economic benefits without suffering the lifestyle and emotional detriments. I hope so. At any rate, we must try to put the brakes on the trend of sacrificing lifestyle and leisure for the blind pursuit of labor and loot.

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -- Anatole France

The Maleability of Ethics

A tide of convenience is dictating to an ever-increasing number of people that ethics is open to interpretation -- that my ethics might be different from your ethics, and neither of us has the freedom to decide that one or the other holds the correct ethical view. That belief is one of the most pernicious personal philosophies permeating our "me first" society.

If ethics is open to interpretation, then nothing is unethical! That's why we have Enron, Health South, and Tyco scandals.

In fact, ethics (the unambiguous version) can be easily determined objectively by using logic and reason -- a point which was driven home to me at age 19 by a wise grad student who taught my Logic 101 class.

Near the end of the semester we had covered all of the required course material and our instructor decided to delve into some advanced logical exercises. He broached the subject of ethics by asking, "How many here believe that ethics is a personal matter, and is up to each individual to decide?" Most of the hands in the room went up. He then pointed to each student who had their hand up in turn, and said "You flunk the course, you flunk the course, you flunk, you flunk..."

When people started to believe that he wasn't kidding, an outcry ensued. His answer: "I'm just exercising my personal right to determine what's ethical. My ethics dictate that if you disagree with me you should flunk the course."

Everyone quickly got the point, and of course, no one flunked. But that narcissistic view of life pervades society and has created a mindset ripe for dismissing ethics in favor of "what's best for me?" Our class soon discovered empirical methods for applying logic to ethical questions, and we were quickly disabused of our sophomoric notions.

For those people who may never learn to apply logic to ethical questions (or who persist in the belief that one can't do that) it all really boils down to common sense. Just listen to your conscience. That little voice inside is remarkably astute at knowing what is right and wrong.

An article that I recently read poignantly addressed this issue. It was called "There Is No Such Thing as Business Ethics." Its point was that ethics is not constrained by labels or agendas. It is universally applicable.

Whether you are in business, in information technology, in medicine, in the retail trades, or in denial, ethics applies, and can be easily determined. Human beings that we are, however, we will always be plagued by piranhas and pariahs who choose to ignore this inconvenient truth. Laws, rules, certifications, and other codified ethical standards might help. But there is no silver bullet.

Whereas we can not really choose what is ethical and what is not, we, unfortunately can choose to ignore moral questions and eschew ethical behavior. It's a convenient way to rationalize a focus of "looking out for numero uno" and a"me first" consciousness.

Whither morality and civility? Do we not care anymore? Have we decided that the law of the jungle is our moral compass?

Man's law changes with his understanding of man. Only the laws of the spirit remain always the same. --Crow Indian proverb

It's Time!

The environment is in trouble.

I believe it.

There are millions of American citizens who believe it.

With all of that Yankee ingenuity and American initiative to muster, one would think that this problem would soon go the way of the do-do bird. Unfortunately, this equation doesn't compute. Belief and action don't always coalesce.

Regrettably, it is easy to assuage our environmental conscience by sending some money to the Nature Conservancy or the Sierra Club, and then convince ourselves that we have done our part. It's easy and it's relatively painless. But money comes and goes too easily. Effort and action are what's required.

Although the pollution of our environment, deforestation, a general loss of habitat, and the degradation of our natural resources portend very dire consequences for our children and future generations, one can witness an appalling disinterest among friends, neighbors, and coworkers. The environmental laissez-faire attitude of our culture is downright embarrassing!

What will it take to wake these well-meaning but actionless environmental zombies out of their collective stupor? I start to get indignant and self-righteous, but then I have to ask myself, "What am I doing to help?"

The answer which rudely confronts me has inspired me to do a lot of self-examination. I grow weary of my own excuses.

In an attempt to overcome my inertia, I have come up with a new personal battle-cry: "It's time!"

• It's time to quit talking and take action.
  
  
• It's time to quit making excuses.
  
  
• It's time to stand up for what's important.
  
  
• It's time to resurrect the long-buried belief that I can make a difference.
  
  
• It's time to reawaken the passion I felt about changing the world when I was young.
  
  
• It's time to make the time to write to a congressman.
  
  
• It's time to take the time to educate my family, my friends and my acquaintances about my concerns.

There are many things that we environmentally concerned citizens witness that moves us to lament the sad state of the environment, but do we expend any effort to be part of the soution? Are we moved to action? We have become too comfortable, but we cannot afford to be seduced by our comfort any longer! It's time!

If not now, when? Will we go to our graves knowing that we could have made a huge difference in this world and the quality of life we bestow upon our progeny... but we failed to take action? Will we fail to even try? It's time!

Now is the time to start making a difference in this world because the time is extraordinarily propitious.

Have you noticed, as have I, the recent green trend that is invading (if not pervading) the national psyche? It's time!

Have you noticed that many more news stories are about environmental issues? It's time!

Have you witnessed the gradual acceptance of the theoretical relationships and ramifications of global warming? It has been transformed from "a crackpot theory" to a generally accepted doctrine. It's time!

Have you noticed the new trendy buzzwords in the national conversation, "carbon"and "sustainability"? It's time!

Our opportunity to truly build a better world has never been better! The popular wisdom has been primed. The “tribal knowledge” is amenable. The public receptivity for environmental issues is at an all-time high. The field for discourse is very fertile. It's time!

Will you or I be able to make a big difference overnight? Probably not. The solution is a process, not a moment.

Will we be able to have any positive effect in isolation? Maybe.

But isolated efforts would be so much more profound if they were combined in a confluence of voices and efforts - if they came together into a raging torrent of poignant synergy. Such focused energy would surely render a palpable example of how the whole can be much more effective than the sum of the individual parts. It's time!

Perhaps you think that you don't have the time? That is going to be a difficult misconception for you to correct. But I firmly believe that once you start this process, you will find that you do have the time!

Will you have to watch less television? Most definitely.

Fewer computer games? Assuredly.

Less Internet surfing? Of course!

Fewer unimportant calls on your cell phone? Hallelujah! You have a tremendous opportunity to turn those chats into something significant!

Do you need to reevaluate your priorities? It's time!

Today is the day. Now is the moment. I am changing my direction and feeling empowered to make a difference in this world and I am inviting all of my readers to do the same. I encourage you to take my new mantra and embrace it as your own. It's time!

Can we make a difference?

When you realize that "Ye are angels, if ye only but knew it," can there be any doubt?

It's time!

We will be forever known by the tracks that we leave. -- Dakota Indian saying

Environmental Catastrophe? It Doesn’t Have To Be!

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but people do need to become alarmed. I don’t want to sound like an extremist, but people do need to realize the extreme importance of this issue. And I don’t want to be overbearing, because I could then easily be dismissed as a “crackpot”. This could then become a red herring which would make it far too easy to dismiss the message.

As I grow older, I become more aware of the degradation and disintegration of our planet and our ecosystem. I have been a birder, a nature lover, and a passive environmentalist for many years. I say “passive” because I have not been an activist. I think that might change. Perhaps it must change.

When my own daughter lectures me on my wasteful habits as regards the environment, I realize that I have been fooling myself into believing that I have been responsive to our ecological responsibilities, and our stewardship of this rapidly disappearing planet. I have been doing the “easy” things, but ignoring the difficult choices; rationalizing that “it is too inconvenient,” or “it won’t really make a difference,” or “I just don’t have the time to worry about it right now.” The irony is that none of us has the luxury to NOT worry about it. We are all running out of time with our environment. We are fiddling while the planet burns. Individuals must disabuse themselves of the notion that they can’t make a difference. We must abandon our excuses and be prepared to make sacrifices, convenient or not.

For a few years, I was a member of the Sierra Club. But I could never really identify with that group, their agenda, or their tactics. They see everything as black and white: they are the good guys in white hats, and anyone who disagrees, or who doesn’t fully embrace their agenda is the bad guy in a black hat. That deliberate polarization around the issues does more harm than good. The Sierra Club has given the term “environmental activist” a bad connotation. I am advocating activism without being adversarially polarized. Rational discussion of the issues and compromise are the only way to move forward.

How does one do this? By subtle reminders. By finding ways to make the topic enter into everyday conversations. By doing what we can as individuals despite the lack of governmental support. By giving each other encouragement. By discovering true compromises that both sides can embrace. And by thanking those that are making an effort, no matter how small, to conserve our energy and our environment.

Any solution to our energy problems will have an impact on our environment. And any solution to our environmental problems will impact the way in which we can manufacture, produce and consume energy. Both sides of both issues must be open-minded and willing to compromise. The two issues, energy and environment are inextricably linked in a symbiotic relationship. Intertwined with them are issues of the economy and of technological progress.

But can any lifestyle be comfortable if our wilderness and our wildlife disappears? Can there be any point in making a living and trying to better our lot, if the fate of our very planet is that of a barren wasteland? Nobody alive today has to worry about witnessing this tragic scenario. It won't happen tomorrow, next week, or next year. That is one reason why it is hard to be heard on this issue. Environmental catastrophe is not imminent even though our current path does make it inevitable.

We may not witness doomsday in our lifetime, but unless attitudes change, we will witness the point of no return – the point at which it truly will be too late to avoid environmental devastation. Unless attitudes change, it will be our legacy that we had a chance to save the environment but ignored it. One day mankind may discover that the earth is dying and it truly will be too late to save it!

But it is not yet too late.

A major obstacle is the fact that everyone is so busy surviving in today's economy, that few have the time to be contemplative about the issues. We may search for answers, but all the while we are serenaded by the siren song of maintaining a comfortable lifestyle - ordinary people tethered to the daily habituation of making a living. Few have the luxury of time to consider the possible ways an individual or a small group can make a positive contribution.

This inertia will be even harder to overcome than the adversarial relations between the environmentalists and the economic interests. Because everyone is overworked, over-stressed, and over-informed, it will be hard to even get their attention, let alone their action. The demands of survival for many Americans seem to dictate disinterest and apathy about all worthy issues that transcend their immediate, personal concerns.

We must fight this mental torpor and properly engage the issues. We need to embrace the problem and make it a cornerstone of our mental framework. It doesn't have to be an all-consuming effort, just a subtle, directed energy. It doesn't have to be in the forefront of our thoughts, just comfortably housed in our subconscious. It doesn't have to be hard, just a habit.

When motivated, thinking individuals can, and will, make a difference. Small contributions do add up. If you listen to public radio and are familiar with their semi-annual fundraising efforts, you know that they set a goal they want to achieve (say, $500,000) and ask everyone to contribute what they can – even as little as $25. That seems like a daunting task to raise a half-million dollars $25 at a time doesn’t it? Yet that is what they consistently do, every time! People are motivated to take small steps if they can see the aggregation being accomplished.

Conservation can be like this. We need to save a billion barrels of oil, one quart at a time. We need to reduce carbon emissions a particle at a time. We need to clean our rivers, a cup at a time. Americans need to eschew environmentally expensive choices, and embrace environmentally friendly ones. We need to reduce our collective footprint on this planet by each of us squeezing into a smaller "shoe".

I am naïve enough to believe that small efforts will not only make a difference, but will also eventually lead to larger efforts. And though we may not be able to reverse some of the damage that has already been done, we can prevent future damage. Perhaps some of the scars can be remediated and others healed. But I predict that concerted efforts will reap a serendipitous bonus: we will be surprised to find that we are not burdened by our sacrifices! The pride of our success in a noble and global venture such as this will ameliorate any pain or discomfort we encounter!

The immovable object which is responsible for preventing the realization of individual efforts is the inertia of attitude. It is far too easy to say, “Someone else will solve this problem.” But conservation is important on a grand and cosmic scale, and the effort to heal the environment is worthy and noble. It demands that we not rationalize our involvement. It demands that we not abdicate our responsibilities. It demands that everyone make better choices.

Conservation of resources and of our environment must be brought to the forefront of public consciousness -- without causing adversarial positioning. Individuals must be made to realize that their small contributions will make a difference. These individual contributions just might combine in a synergistic aggregation which is disproportionately large compared to the effort expended.

I truly and fervently believe that the tipping point from trendy, "feel good" novelty to environmental efficacy is not only within reach, but also much closer than we think. By keeping the easy, low-hanging fruit in the forefront (or at least in the visible periphery) of the consciousness of Americans, we can reach a critical mass of small efforts which will combine to achieve significant results. Many people will feel that they don't have time and can't be bothered by this issue. But if the remediation is portrayed as an adventure of epic proportions, they, too, might be compelled to get on board!

Three things have proven to motivate individuals to high action: catastrophe (Hurricane Katrina), common threat (communism), and magnificent adventure (the race to the moon). In saving the environment, we have all of these elements present. We just need to publicize, proselytize, and organize.

I know it can be done and the key is to recognize that success will come in small increments. But in order to keep individuals motivated about their individual efforts, there needs to be some kind of feedback mechanism to let them see these incremental improvements, and to let them know that they really are making a difference. More on that later.

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. -- Henry Ford

And so it begins...

The Hill Country View has commenced. I would like to thank my friend, Dr. Byron Stone, Austin, Texas for being the catalyst for this blog.