The Productive Pessimist

International Men's Day. It's on the 19th November every year. Try and remember that, guys - it gets a little bit wearing for everyone  when you whinge on, all over posts for International  Women's Day (8th March) about " when's my  day, huh?!" (it's very much not  giving Alpha energy - it's giving three year old at their sibling's birthday party. But if that's the look you want...) What is the point of International Men's Day? As for International  Women's Day, International Men's Day both highlights challenges men face, discussing the root causes, and thus potential solutions, of those problems, and celebrates men's achievements. In contrast to International  Women's Day, this "highlight and celebrate" is considered... well...a bit awkward when it comes to International Men's Day - because when we say "men" in the UK, most peoples' minds default to "financially comfortable, able-bodied, men...

  Recently, I read a poetry 'zine, " The  Wisdom of the Punk Buddha " by Sam Marsh. It was, in general, a good collection of reflections, which I agreed with overall. But, like so many "radical positions"...Sam had a fixation on the "obligation" to "be a healthy punk". Every where you look, those who proudly prance around shouting about ho w counter-culture they are align themselves very strongly with the dominant culture when it comes to "You must be healthy! Being healthy is completely within your control! If you aren't healthy, you don't have the necessary self-control to succeed in our fight!" And that is ableism. Yes, yes - "Oh my god , is everything an 'ism, these days?!" No, everything isn't. But insisting on health in order for people to be seen as "committed enough", "capable enough", insisting on "being healthy" as a pre-re quisite to being seen as a va...

  Take some time sometime to go onto YouTube (other platforms are available), and look for documentaries on "the  world's most expensive xyz..." If you watch those documentaries fully - ideally several of them in a ro w (they make a great background if you're working from home, doing creative projects, or getting through the house work) , you'll notice something: All of these expensive products - some selling for literally thousands of dollars a piece - are made slo wly. Often very slo wly. Days at a minimum, more commonly years. And these products are still very much in demand. Many companies are struggling to keep up with demand, because - globally, including in "countries that don't pamper people with bs like a ' welfare state!' - businesses of all types are experiencing recruitment challenges. People aren't arguing the toss over the cost of these products - they're paying deposits to join years-long waiting lists for them. So, ...

  " Woke" is an appropriated term that, like most appropriated things, has been completely altered from what it originally meant. Originally used by African-Americans to communicate the warning that "unexplained" deaths of African-Americans were almost certainly the result of white violence and racial intolerance, the invocation to "stay woke" was a gesture of concern and compassion, a reminder that the world was not a safe place for people whose faces didn't fit. It still isn't a safe place for anyone who is visibly "different" - no matter ho w subtle that visibility is: from the size and shape of a nose to an accent, from the spelling of a name to the texture of a curl. From someone's height to the pitch of their voice, from the way they hold themselves, move, or speak, to the amount of support from others they need to manage day to day life. No w, ho wever, " woke" has been appropriated by the Left to mean "having...

  End of the road for economic growth in the UK? The UK government - and most Western European governments - hyperfixate on economic growth  as a measure of political success: If growth is strong, the claim goes, then the government of the day are doing things right, regardless of how popular their policies are with the public.  If growth slows, the government has clearly made the wrong decision, and needs to alter course, and prove that they deserve  to be in charge. This is something that has become a sacred truth in government.  "This will destroy  growth!"  "This risks crashing  UK growth prospects!" have become ever-more aggressive reactions to policy suggestions from opposing parties, or individual politicians.  Initially, I assumed this was deliberate fear-mongering; because the public associates "economic growth" with " my  individual life improving, me as an individual  having more money for less work, and everything gettin...

  The Bank of England is expressing significant concerns about Britain's "ageing and ailing workforce", harmonising to the government's tune of how the long-term sick are responsible for the UK economic challenges, and how "necessary" raising the State pension age is. Those two songs have been a more or less constant refrain from various shades of UK governments since 1997 - almost 30years.  Pretty much my whole life, and the entirety of my life as someone old enough to vote. Of course, work is necessary.  Countries have essential core services which require vast workforces to provide and administrate. Governments should be generating national income by exporting from the manufacturing, STEM, creative, and knowledge economy sectors, all of which require their own skilled and specialist workforces, and the workforce of their respective administrative and marketing functions. Continuous income, to cover the unavoidable payment lags in exports, is necessary fo...