power communication

[Mary C. Simmons, Hydrologic Assistant, Albuquerque, NM]

JRC wrote:


>       Its easy to say that we "should" have total equality of wages for
>everyone's work, but how would you do that, in practice, without >imposing 
such >a system? 

By a BIG change in attitude.  By deciding that money does not equal 
self-worth, and the really big one, money does not equal self esteem.  By NOT 
measuring your own worth against someone else's money, or education, or stuff. 
 By consensus........... 



> in the long run higher education is not an
>expense, but rather an investment in human capital ... 

To designate people as "Human capital" makes me REALLY unconfortable.  We are 
NOT commodities, whose value is judged in terms of payback to the community 
(and, BTW, judged BY WHOM?).  


>       To try to force wage equality, in practice, means that those who
>contribute virtually nothing to society would earn the same as those who
>contribute enormous amounts ...



Who said anything about force, except perhaps those that are opposed to 
valuing all people equally?  Politicians and athletes and talk show hosts 
contribute virtually nothing, yet are paid the most.  Teachers and day-care 
providers and health care providers contribute much more, yet with the 
exception of the doctors, are on the lower end.  Where is there justice in 
this?  




>       I guess when I hear of the utopian dreams of total social >equality, and try 
to think through how strong and coercive the measures >it would take  (at 
least in our current world) to bring such a vision >about in practice, I think 
of Milton's "Satan" ... better to be free in >hell than subservient in heaven. 
                                                           

I would take neither.  Personally, I think we have other choices.  We have 
been enslaved for a very long time by the "either-or" argument.  Are YOU 
*really* living in hell?  DO any of us with keyboards under our fingers know 
what living in hell is?


CUDDLEMONSTER/Joy writes

>You all are all talking about an idealistic utopian idea.  That's great, >go 
ahead, I just don't think it's feasible.


Only force, inequality, injustice, classism ARE feasable? Because that's what 
we HAVE now, and most of us are pretty comfortable, and its just to hard to 
change?

Mary.
_________________________________________________________________________
Mary Simmons
U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division  
Albuquerque, New Mexico 
(505)262-5332
[EMAIL PROTECTED]