2008 Woodie Awards
On our future
Jerrel Allen
Issue date: 3/7/07 Section: Editorials & Viewpoints
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Standing on the brink of our places in society, every college student has some conception of his or her future. A few of my more mindful professors have taken the time to petition the class for future goals. Often, I'm left wondering what exactly it is I am supposed to say once the attention of the class has reached me. Often, I respond in jest, making light of the situation and saying something to the effect of "oh, I suppose I'll travel the world and be a jack of all trades." It's true that while most people come to college with their future career goals in mind, many of us are merely feeling our way through to what our future should be.
I am not trekking on unfamiliar ground when I say that work, for the most part, is essentially the only future for mankind. When we graduated high school, our parents gave us two options-work or go to school. When we leave college (unless, of course, you've been blessed with the gift of the almighty dollar), your choice will be the same-more college, or enter the workforce. I run the risk of being considered lazy by saying this, but I am not so sure that working is something I've ever wanted to do. I realize that most people, if given the chance, would rather not work than work. Work is the great equalizer of most of the inhabitants of the earth; and of course, we're forced into the system by the need to work to survive in our world.
There is no exception. As I mentioned in "Freedom is Slavery" we cannot exist outside of the boundaries of this system. Let us, then, for a moment, take a look at the immediate; what can be done about a system that has thrown not only us, but almost every other human being on the planet overboard.
Revolution in the traditional sense will never work for this kind of change. In the past, revolutions only served to change the people who were in charge, "I don't like this king, so I will replace him with another king, or with a group of people who will rule like "the king." What I speak of when I say "we need change" is a cultural revolution (not to be confused with any of Mao's principles), a way that we may be able to create a society which will fulfill the needs of all human beings and not focus our wealth on the upper one percent of society. The example my contemporaries give is the tribal system, a system which rids humanity of the vices of concentrated wealth by redefining wealth. In a tribal system, the wealth of society exists only as human energy transferred from one person to another; you need my help, and, because I will need yours later, I will help you. Wealth of this kind cannot be kept by one person, and there is no need for the "redistribution of wealth" in a tribal system.
I am not trekking on unfamiliar ground when I say that work, for the most part, is essentially the only future for mankind. When we graduated high school, our parents gave us two options-work or go to school. When we leave college (unless, of course, you've been blessed with the gift of the almighty dollar), your choice will be the same-more college, or enter the workforce. I run the risk of being considered lazy by saying this, but I am not so sure that working is something I've ever wanted to do. I realize that most people, if given the chance, would rather not work than work. Work is the great equalizer of most of the inhabitants of the earth; and of course, we're forced into the system by the need to work to survive in our world.
There is no exception. As I mentioned in "Freedom is Slavery" we cannot exist outside of the boundaries of this system. Let us, then, for a moment, take a look at the immediate; what can be done about a system that has thrown not only us, but almost every other human being on the planet overboard.
Revolution in the traditional sense will never work for this kind of change. In the past, revolutions only served to change the people who were in charge, "I don't like this king, so I will replace him with another king, or with a group of people who will rule like "the king." What I speak of when I say "we need change" is a cultural revolution (not to be confused with any of Mao's principles), a way that we may be able to create a society which will fulfill the needs of all human beings and not focus our wealth on the upper one percent of society. The example my contemporaries give is the tribal system, a system which rids humanity of the vices of concentrated wealth by redefining wealth. In a tribal system, the wealth of society exists only as human energy transferred from one person to another; you need my help, and, because I will need yours later, I will help you. Wealth of this kind cannot be kept by one person, and there is no need for the "redistribution of wealth" in a tribal system.
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