The Congruous Vacuum

Guerilla Girls Part II

The other day a girl in a workshop heard me talking about the Guerilla Girls post and thought I was against equal pay between gender and racial lines; which I am for equal pay across all lines. So I explained it all and she asked, "So the manager or CEO would make as much as a janitor?"
"Yes"
"But that doesn't make any sense"
"No, it makes perfect sense, everybody works all week, everybody gets paid."
"But there would be no motivation, to do more work, to be better"
"So you think the artists who make a lot of money, more than you or I ; have more motivation and passion?
"Oh, so this is just in an Artist context, from your view?"
"No, I want that for everybody."
"Who did you vote for?"
"Actually, I really regret who I voted for, I should have voted for... see I voted for Nader and the Green Party the last two elections.
"You didn't vote for Bush did y..."
"No. I voted for the other guy, Kerry. But I should voted for Nader, I mean he wasn't on the ballot, I should have written him in. Because the Democrats, and their sect of pundity movie/rock/television star voices were saying some really awful things. Saying he's old, he's crazy, lost all respect for not standing down. That is not how you treat someone who fought the system in court and won consumer rights for all of us. And the Democrats should be ashamed, ashamed (it's cheesy I know to repeat it like that but, It's like a little speech I've repeated more than once), especially the people who spouted that disrespect" (some heads nod)

That there was proof the Democrat party had become exactly what Greens, Libertarians, and Independents hate about the two party system. They together have become the party of Big Business only they don't really want you to know that. The both just want to win, they both lack vision. And therefore lack any real solutions to the problems barreling down on this country. So we talked further about our dissatisfaction at the current administration, and one person offers up that he wishes all the old people would die, and this world would change tomorrow. And it's a little true. Wife thinks that the longer lifespans of politicians, means that while society and the world is changing faster and faster, our government is changing slower and slower, and while I don't want to disrespect the wisdom of our elders, I don't want up to hold up the folly of our elders either. Anyways I say, "I want the whole eutopic Star Trek vision of a unified earth. I don't know if that's possible in my lifetime, but I think there are three things we have to change. We have to 1. Control population growth. And we have to RID ourselves of 2. Religion, and 3. Nationalism."

Now I just met these other classmates a few weeks ago. I don't even know one dude's name. I'm 29 and these people are early twenties. Here are their responses in order:

1. nods all around
2. unanimously "yeah"
3. hmmm, Nationalism I don't know if we can get rid of that, you think? I don't know.

I don't know how to explain what joy it gave me to hear those answers. Answer #2 ,as an atheist, is especially reassuring. And #3, They think (rightly) that government is too powerful to easily rid ourselves of. All I could say in response was "It's one planet, we have to start thinking that way."

My own parents would likely laugh at me for such notions, (which is funny because I have no problem seeing their point of view) although they would have no answer as to a unified vision for planet earth (probably everybody should serve in the military).

Later,

shakabusatsu