People are nothing but economic units now
Thanks for your article — a scholarly article — on “A Poverty of Time.” (Benns’ Belief, March edition) I am tempted to quote Welsh poet W. H. Davies.: “What is this life if, full of care/ We have no time to stand and stare.”
You are, to my mind, correct to identify globalization, the obsessive pursuit of money, as being the enemy of leisure. Globalization has always been about the traders making more money, never about improving the lives of workers. That is true going back to the Phoenicians, or even earlier to the trade in flint arrowheads.
Your final sentence is so true. By a strange coincidence I had a conversation recently with a staff member at Canadian Tire. He had lived much of his early life in Bobcaygeon. He painted an image of life at that time which was so rich. The clubs that formed, the activities that occurred, the showing of films in the arena, the theatre in Fenelon Falls, and the marvelous winter fair. The strong bonds of community were evident in everything from the daily work to the arts, and to recreational and leisure pursuits.
As you note, the people have become nothing more than economic units for the wealthy. Alas, I see no way that we will ever shake off our chains.
Peter Weygang, Bobcaygeon
It’s been a slow process over the last 40yrs or so….corporations lobby governments to make policies that favor corporations . Things change little by little. And here we are. Corporations making record profits and workers paid less than ever. All the while, politicians telling us things have never been better. More food banks than ever. People screaming for more affordable housing. More personal debt than ever. But hey, there’s lots of jobs out there. Just ask a politician. Timmys and Walmart are hiring all the time. Just keep staring at your phones young people. Don’t pay attention to real life and what the politicians and big business are doing.