From: Matthew Poot (mattpoot@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Mar 02 2004 - 16:00:16 GMT
Hello,
Platt quoted: There's nothing vague about a value judgment. .When a voter
goes to the
polling booth he's making a value Judgment. What's so vague about that?
Isn't an election a cultural activity? What's so vague about the New York
stock exchanges? Aren't values what they're dealing in? How about the U.S.
Treasury? Who in this world is more specific than the Internal Revenue
Service?" (Lila, Chp.5)
Poot: Ok. What I am / was trying to say, is that if money is the
value-determiner, then Quality falls by the wayside (most often). I don't
see how this quote would disagree with that. If I am missing something,
please, fill me in.
For example, when someone is producing something, they think about Quality
first. Then they look at how much it will cost them, and adjust the Quality
(usually lower) to fit the budget. Now, theres nothing inherently wrong in
that. I mean, you can't expect someone to intentionally bankrupt themselves
to produce the highest quality goods they could possibly produce, right?
However, things are not really like that (again, in most places, not all).
Instead of producing fewer high(er)-Quality items, they choose to go to the
lowest denominator of Quality, that will just appear to pass the initial
Q-assessment of the purchaser. They produce such a quantity of low-quality
items, until a point in which it becomes highly profitable. We all know
that the more you produce, the lower the price drops for production, well
the sales price goes down as well, it is still exponentially higher than
costs of producing, shipping, storing, merchandising, paying staff, etc.
Example: Wal-Mart. Wal-Marts success has put many small, individual
businesses , right out of business. This is a natural thing to happen in
business, that not everybody makes it. But , when this happens on such a
scale, that wherever Wal-Mart goes (and that is ....quite a large area)
small, specialty businesses, which produce smaller quantity, but higher
Quality, are usually closed due to lack of business.
This is not to say that all mass-producing is bad. We do have a lot of
people living on this planet to provide for, and they can't all be supplied
by small specialty stores.
I bought a really nice pair of Canadian Army Surplus combat-boots, which are
mass-produced. They are really good! They will be likely to last me for
many, many years (assuming I take care of them, which I will).
So what is the difference between the suppliers of a company like Wal-Mart
(Nike, etc.) and the company which made 'my' boots(H.H.Brown)?? Nike
produces pretty decent Quality running shoes, that are comfortable. But how
much do you pay? You pay as much for a pair of sneakers, which last you 1
year, as for a pair of leather boots which last a good 10 times longer.
Given, Nike puts a lot of money into designing new trendy looking shoes,
etc. Also, they are currently not doing that well, since they 'decided' to
stop using child labour in foreign countries, and using that means to make
insanely high profits.
Every business is there to make profit. Not just to provide a product.
But That is where the difference lies. Some companies only exist to make
profit, no matter what quality the product is that they're producing. And
some others, make better quality products, and are satisfied with lower
profit ratios. How fast is H.H.Brown growing? Well, it isn't, really.
It's been in the same spot for a long time, and the owners seem to be
content with that. Then you have other large companies, which actively
seek to destroy their competition by any means possible. They only seek
profits. More money in the pockets of fewer people. Do you think that if
Nike is doing really well, they're employees see lots of wage / benefits
increases? no..... Then where does that money go? To the CEO 's nice
lofty XX million dollar bonus. What do people need with that much money?
They have it, and someone else needs it.
This is why when money is the determining factor of Quality or Value
Judgement, things go awry. You lose focus on what matters , and focus on
'making a good living'.
Platt: How would you define "true success?" What criteria do you use?
Poot: True Success is derived from the aim for Arete. Are you happy with
what you have? Or are you happy with what you have to be happy with?
In terms of professions, it amazes me that most people are not happy with
what they do (work). Many say, "well, I have to work.....damn" , only to
look forward to coming home, and sitting on a couch to watch T.V. THIS is
what they have to look forward to? This is how dull theyre jobs are?
Instead of money being the value determiner, how about Quality? Doens't
matter whether its the quality of what you make, what you buy, eat,
drink.... Quality of life is what matters. If you do what you like to do,
what makes you happy, than you will do it better, and with more care than
something which bores you, or you hate , or are disinterested in.
I see it everyday at work. People, who are grumpy all of the time.....I've
been in situations, where people have told me...."You know.....I wish I
could have done things different......you know? I knew I shouldn't have
gone into this career. I should have gone into business or something like
that." The specific result of this unhappiness, is reduction/ lack of
effort , which results in the degredation of Quality.
I said: terms of the 'criteria' I speak of, these are criteria for
'success'. If
you want to 'be someone' than you have to make certain choices. Do you want
to satisfy your personal and social needs, or will you satisfy your
professional and monetary needs. There is less , and less, and less room
available for becoming well-rounded, and thinking laterally.
Platt: Please define WE. Does it include Bush and his millions of
supporters? Or
just those who agree with you?
Poot: Well, not being an American citizen, I have no say in politics in
America. But , by 'We', I would mean both the majority, and people of my
view (are you not so close in awareness and to me........yet our views
still differ greatly on secular issues). Just because Bush has millions of
supporters , doesnt mean they're right.
If you look at it by support, by sheer numbers, he didn't win the election.
Democracy? or dangling chads?
"Or just those who agree with you?"
Platt: . Excellence is excellence regardless of its physical
manifestation.
Higher levels always trump lower
levels in the moral hierarchy, though the lower levels are necessary to
maintain the higher.
There is good
music and crap, and you know the difference as well as anybody
Poot: Are you satisfied with crap? I think what we have here, is crap...
It may be my view, and the view of many, but its not just view. Can you
distinguish between what is crap, and what is good ----for society? Yes.
Platt: The ideal of a harmonious society in which everyone without coercion
cooperates happily with everyone else for the mutual good of all is a
devastating fiction." (Lila, Chp 24)
Poot: Neither I or DM (I should let you speak for yourself ;-) are trying
to say that 'We' (being human race, or at least in a country) will all get
along, holding hands, singing songs. There will ALWAYS be conflicts.
The only difference is how we choose to solve them.
I am not saying (and I do not believe that I have said it) that there will
not need to be any coercion. In fact, I have said the opposite!
Read Below.
I have to go now,
Poot
The way I would like to see 'it' is like this; You can't expect to change
things by a revolution. It is much to unstable, unpredictable, and
undesireable. Revolutions cause such swift change that it often does not
benefit the majority, but only the few (ogligarchy).
You have to go into things, not expecting everything to happen "NOW", "Right
Away!", "A>S>A>P". If there is ever to be a change in mindset from what we
have now, or something simlilarly
not-good/fake/materialistic/inproportional/off-balance/out of whack, then it
must be attempted with care, and diligence. Some Good(Quality) things take
time. It is like planting a sapling when you buy a house. You don't plant
it because the sapling is -insert characteristic here-, and thats what you
want. You plant it to look , feel, listen, and live with it when it is
mature (or semi-mature). A tree doesn't make really loud noises coming from
animals. It softly whispers in the wind , always there, but not often
focused on.
Right now, I am not telling people "You are stupid! You are only aware if
you have read ZMM". What I try and do, is to influence them, and if
possible (often not) try and get them to read the book. Then, they will
come to their own conclusions. I have not told them what to do, or what to
believe in, but have presented an opportunity for them to change. If they
only change a little, then that is still good. Then that might have a chain
reaction affect. Spread across generations.
This is where the practicality of ZMM, and the facilitation of Quality
awareness are. It will only be helped when we really start to wreak our own
havoc. When we finally see that we're on the edge of a very sharp cliff, or
walking on the edge of a knife , you might say.
Perhaps things like petroleum shortages, and a severe and rapid drop of
life-spans (ask me, I know what is coming).
HAVING IS NOT HAPPINESS!!!! <--- The current mythos we are in, supports (or
maybe sustains is better word) materialism
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