The spiritual poverty of life before globalism! Tell that to all the laid-off factory workers. Sure, your skills are now obsolete but here’s some Thai food and if your computer breaks down talk to this guy in Bangalore about it. Am I wrong to envy my grandparents at times?
By today’s standards, the Beatles may be considered bland. We have such a wide variety of musical genres that their simple, catchy pop songs aren’t particularly relevant anymore. But during their time, they were breaking into a whole new realm of music that no one had heard (or played) before! I would argue that we owe a lot to the Beatles, in terms of starting a musical revolution that led to the multitude of musical styles that are prominent today. They are one of the most important musical groups in the history of popular music, even if very few people would argue that any of their songs are spectacular.
>Tell that to all the laid-off factory workers.
Because worker’s rights were a big thing prior to the 20th century, amirite?
Seriously, folks, the past was just shitty in different ways than the present. You aren’t starving to death in a ditch or dying of easily preventable diseases at age twenty-five, quit complaining about how awful the world is.
The other advantage to globalism is, well, access to better products and services. I hate to say it, but when I deal with an IT customer service rep who doesn’t have a non-English accent, I know they’re not going to be able to fix whatever problem I have…because people in North America who have advanced skills won’t work for what front-line support workers make. The guy in Bangladesh who is qualified to build my server in the dark out of a toothpick, a paperclip and a watermelon (and is willing to work in his country for $8/hour…which is the equivalent to a decent IT wage in North America) is the guy I want to talk to.
@L: It’s a race to the bottom no matter where you are. The guy in Bangladesh making $8/hr is replaced by someone who makes $6, then someone who makes $4. Eventually, the language barrier masks a lack of ability. All of this happens in the shadow of cultural differences, where clearly communicated information may be incorrect because of diffting norms.
If people won’t work for the offered wage, then maybe you’ll just have to up the offer?
No they aren’t bland. They weren’t weren’t bland in their time and they aren’t bland now. It’s called subtlety. And Innovation. I’m not a big Beatles fan. But as a musician, I can hear the craftsmanship in their music. It’s still better-made music than 90% of the pop we have now. Hall and effing Oates is way better-made than 90% of the pop we have now (and I’m waaay not a fan of theirs either)
Now on to the spiritual poverty of the pre-global America, I have to call bullshit.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m big fan of diversity. And I’m a big fan of choices.
So we have a thousand channels of diversity – people are still watching Duck Dynasty and Animal Planet’s latest “documentary” on mermaids.
August 15, 2009
Well, the Beatles were good. …For the most part.
January 15, 2010
They were pretty meh
January 20, 2010
They were pretty shutyourfaceyouarealiarandacad.
June 3, 2010
The spiritual poverty of life before globalism! Tell that to all the laid-off factory workers. Sure, your skills are now obsolete but here’s some Thai food and if your computer breaks down talk to this guy in Bangalore about it. Am I wrong to envy my grandparents at times?
June 3, 2010
Yeah, consumerism has always been spiritually poor. And spiritual people in the age of consumerism have generally been weirdos.
Fractal culture is pretty nasty on the basis of capitalism, period.
December 23, 2010
By today’s standards, the Beatles may be considered bland. We have such a wide variety of musical genres that their simple, catchy pop songs aren’t particularly relevant anymore. But during their time, they were breaking into a whole new realm of music that no one had heard (or played) before! I would argue that we owe a lot to the Beatles, in terms of starting a musical revolution that led to the multitude of musical styles that are prominent today. They are one of the most important musical groups in the history of popular music, even if very few people would argue that any of their songs are spectacular.
February 28, 2011
>Tell that to all the laid-off factory workers.
Because worker’s rights were a big thing prior to the 20th century, amirite?
Seriously, folks, the past was just shitty in different ways than the present. You aren’t starving to death in a ditch or dying of easily preventable diseases at age twenty-five, quit complaining about how awful the world is.
July 27, 2011
The other advantage to globalism is, well, access to better products and services. I hate to say it, but when I deal with an IT customer service rep who doesn’t have a non-English accent, I know they’re not going to be able to fix whatever problem I have…because people in North America who have advanced skills won’t work for what front-line support workers make. The guy in Bangladesh who is qualified to build my server in the dark out of a toothpick, a paperclip and a watermelon (and is willing to work in his country for $8/hour…which is the equivalent to a decent IT wage in North America) is the guy I want to talk to.
November 27, 2012
@L: It’s a race to the bottom no matter where you are. The guy in Bangladesh making $8/hr is replaced by someone who makes $6, then someone who makes $4. Eventually, the language barrier masks a lack of ability. All of this happens in the shadow of cultural differences, where clearly communicated information may be incorrect because of diffting norms.
If people won’t work for the offered wage, then maybe you’ll just have to up the offer?
June 3, 2015
Or build a machine to do it.
February 16, 2017
Let’s start with the Beatles:
No they aren’t bland. They weren’t weren’t bland in their time and they aren’t bland now. It’s called subtlety. And Innovation. I’m not a big Beatles fan. But as a musician, I can hear the craftsmanship in their music. It’s still better-made music than 90% of the pop we have now. Hall and effing Oates is way better-made than 90% of the pop we have now (and I’m waaay not a fan of theirs either)
Now on to the spiritual poverty of the pre-global America, I have to call bullshit.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m big fan of diversity. And I’m a big fan of choices.
So we have a thousand channels of diversity – people are still watching Duck Dynasty and Animal Planet’s latest “documentary” on mermaids.
Diversity equals breadth, not depth.