Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (August 2008, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:52:07 -0230
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <hecht.joy@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <hecht.joy@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Are Today's Young People Mechanical Nitwits?
In-Reply-To:  <449CBCFD-C39A-45FC-B78D-45B92C09E905@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 7:17 PM, Oliver Mueller-Heubach < groundhogging@mac.com> wrote:

> Depends on what classifies as a good standard of living. Without > agriculture, we might be considerably better off in some ways, with more > free time and better health within a certain age range. >

Huh? Without agriculture, what are you going to eat? Either someone else grows it and you buy it, or you spend all your time growing crops. Agriculture is a VERY risky business, takes a lot of time. I don't know any farmers, but what I've read about being one emphasizes CONSTANT work and you can't ever take a break.

> We might only live to 30, but we would be closer to the earth and those > around us. >

I'll take another 60 years over that, any day!

> At least the 1/10 of a percent of the current population that could > sustained without surpluses, etc. I'm not sure we're any better off than > most pre-industrial civilizations (even with states, organized religions, > and agriculture). >

I work in non-industrial civilizations. Life is damned hard. A huge amount of work, and nothing to do when you aren't working except maybe talk to your neighbors or get drunk or have sex. No books, no communications, no electricity, no transportation. Little or nothing in the way of schools, medical care, sewage, clean drinking water. Sex leads to yet more children, which makes life even harder, especially when it comes to what land they will inherit to live on - land doesn't multiply the way children do. No privacy whatsoever living in a small village. Basically no choices. But yeah, you are close to the earth, that's for sure.

I'll take specialization of labor and longer life over that any day! And for those who want to work on their own cars, why that's an option as well, in the world we live in. Choice is a good thing. If young folks don't choose to work on cars, let's cheer the fact that they can do what they want either way, instead of bemoaning that they don't choose what some on this list prefer.

Joy


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.