Last term, for a final project in my SINQ Pop Culture class, we were asked to analyze an animated film; my group chose Pixar’s Wall-E. A main point we discussed in our presentation was corporate America and the role ‘mega-corporations’ would hold on the future. I was constantly reminded of the work I did on this project while reading “The Rights of Business” chapter in Paul Hawken’s Blessed Unrest for this weeks readings. This week in class, we were graced by Professor Brower (the daughter of Jack Brower) who talked to us about her father after we watched the documentary “Monumental” based on his conquests. She mentioned the term “simpler times” throughout her visit to class and it really resonated with me, as well as making think of my previous class project and Hawken’s writings.
On page 60 of his book, Hawken talks about an English group know as ‘Luddites.’ These people tried to fight back as their industry became corporatized and did so in a very physical way. I had no idea that such a seemingly current movement took place over a hundred years ago. Today, more than ever, un-employment rates are at their highest. Progress for progress’ sake should be frowned upon; companies should hire human workers rather than buy machines or robots; mega-corporations should build factories in our homeland rather than outsourcing for cheap labor. Instead of the Industrialization era that caused all these machines to replace the jobs of people like the Luddites, we are in a Technological era and our human workers are being replaced by machine counterparts.
Back to what Professor Brower talked about of simpler times, we are living in such a complex age, and as much as I am grateful that I live in a time where we have healthcare and many other modern commodities, I jealous of those who lived in a simpler time, a much simpler time: no paper money, no bills, no taxes, no materialistic goods, just people doing what they needed to sustain life.
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