Wiped out
Dinosaurs, Dodos, Typing machines, Ambassador cars, Miners, Mill workers, Weavers…………..If you are wondering, this is the list of things which have gone extinct, things which have been wiped out.
Last night I saw a British movie about the lives of some coal mine workers and how it all changed when their pit was shutdown. The closure left them jobless, homeless, hopeless and ailing with their bodies black inside with all the coal accumulated over the years.
More than a quarter of a million jobs were lost during the 80s in the UK due to closing of coal mines alone without even considering the numbers from the textile mills. I do not have knowledge of economics to weigh these events and comment whether or not they were financially rewarding at the time or if they proved to be worthwhile in the long-term.
The bitter truth is these industries had to go sometime or the other. The changing world doesn’t spare any of us a choice of not changing along with it. The question though is whether enough was done to accommodate the needs of the workmen and whether they were given enough support to re-establish themselves.
Working class or middle class depend just on their wages for their livelihood. Their outgoings are what their earnings are. It is very difficult for them to save money as a buffer, it’s a good thing now that all the employers are encouraging the employees to atleast join their pension schemes. One unpaid month brings about cascading affects on their life. They are led to borrow money on high interest from high street lenders to make the ends meet and these loans then handicap them for the rest of their lives.
A job lost for them is not just a job lost, it is a cut down on ration for the entire family, it means compromises being made on the future of the children, children being forced to grow and earn faster. The weaker hearts succumbing to booze and sensitive ones heartbroken.
I am really struggling here, were mistakes made then or were the sacrifices of some million families worldwide justified in order to give us a modern, technologically better lifestyle. Lifestyle it probably has, has it given us a better life, I ask.
Today I am raising doubts on the judgements and actions of people born before me. I am in many ways challenging the rights or wrongs set by them. All good. BUT this is a reminder to me that questions will be posed to me/us someday, that I/we will be asked to justify my/our actions and decisions. We all owe our posterity a promise to keep the society and the planet preserved in good shape for them. Tomorrow all of us will be faced with questions on what we did to stop many of the atrocities going on around us today.
There are always questions to be asked but there are more to be answered. Are we prepared for that? Do we have our excuses ready?
posted by dumbdodi at 4:10 pm
36 Comments:
At the outset there is no room for sentiments in todays world...if something has to go in place of something better that then it has to go..it should go..hmm survival of fittest comes to my mind..so wat u said is rite that those industries had to go sometime or the other ..if we wouldnt have respected technology than i think we wouldnt have come out ape-age.we would have been running bare bodied like adam-eve!!.
further,i agree wit u that its our duty to keep the society and resources preserved and sufficient for the coming generations and we have to think b4 we take any action.i will keep this in my mind and i will try to act in a way where i dont HAVE to keep any excuses ready!
Well I think the question is not about how better the change is.. Its economics.. The law of the land has changed... You name a field today and it is driven by profit. Plain profit.. You see profit, you bring in change.. The raw idea behind a chnage is betterment, but the outcome is always profit.. The reason I can never start or take part in arguements like these is because you talk, but it is worthless if you aint gonna walk the talk.. People talk about global warming today but will not stop or think for a moment before using the luxuries that are one of the causes of this impending catastrophe.. We are just plain dependent on technology now..
In all its a cycle.. You do not know the begining from the end.. You are just being a part of this chakravyuh..
Sometimes I just wish we had a reset button which would bring us back to the golden technology free age.. Amen..
I fear that future generations will be furious at our generation because of our careless attitude to global warming.
DD, nice blog, nice smart and concerned post. What we have to have is growth with mercy for people and concern and mercy for the future environment and people, that is not so hard to say, but to do takes votes, action, it is more difficult.
Verywell written..thought provoking post,i shld say..
Each generation bears the obligation of effective stewardship for the benefit of future generations of all living beings.let's say, for example,Sustainable agriculture..It's ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, culturally appropriate, and based on a holistic scientific approach.It is a long-term approach to agriculture that practices conservation of resources and diversity and it's an ongoing process where current generations work to sustain economic, environmental and social resources for the benefit of future generations.
And Radhika, What's easier now than later? Dreaming!!,i suppose..We people have to work it out to make our dreams true...
@Sai, 'Survival of the fittest' you say both in the real and concrete jungles.True but then I wonder is it really survival of the fittest/best or is it these days survival of the cunning/manipulative people who play the games.
We as future technologists have a great responsibity and its nice you have endevaoured before your journey to 'do it right'. Thanks for your well written comment
@Gaurav, very well put that though the raw idea behind change is good but the outcome is profit.
Yes Gaurav, the things that bother me, I find myself helpless with all these remote controls in our hand, I find myself without any control to bring about any difference. Thats why I said 'are we ready with our excuses'
The point though is if ever we have the power to bring about any positive change, will we try and risk getting into the 'Chakravyuh' with no guarantees of coming out at all. Thanks gaurav, sahi jaa raha hai!!!
@Rob, yes they will be. But it won't just be for global warming, it will be for war, drugs and list goes on.....My father told me stories about bullock carts in his village, I wonder if I end up telling my children stories about tall trees, fresh natural air.....
Thanks for coming by Rob. Hope to keep in touch.
@Jim Heartiest welcome to you. I am glad you could sense my concern but its also mounted by helplessness. Yes I think things seem to be beyond a common man's control. I doubt if we will ever see any kind of revolution in our lifetime which will go down in the history books.
@Gangadhar, what a lovely point you have made about the agricultural practices. It gives me some hope that we can probably do something...
Also its true what is easier now, you said dreams...unfortunately I doubt even that, how many of us are able to sleep well in the night?
Ah yes...economic development.
Check out:
www.don-iannone.com/edfutures
I hear what you're saying.
@Don, Thanks. I have been reading your newsletter, its very informative, I am more keen now as I am starting my masters in managing business from the September so it will help me tremendously.
Don, do you think management needs to consider the human side while closing an industry or like my brother, Sai puts it there is no room for sentiments in todays world?
Powerful. You must have been to the Lowry musuem here. For others Lowry painted daily life in Manchester and other north western parts of UK. If you see his paintings which are just few decades old you can compare the changes,the entire skyline and landscape has changed. Textile mills prevalent in every other picture have just vanished.
Thanks, your post reminded me of his painitings
Wow, those who visit really have a great deal to say...and I am just a haiku person...Excellent, excellent...you remind of Roy of God of small things...cant remember the exact name and title
@Malcolm, I thought of Lowry paintings as well while writing.Great you thought the same. Awesome actually. Thanks a lot
@Plus Ultra
A long reply to you.
That has to be by far the best compliment I have recieved about my writing.
Her name is Arundhati Roy. I was in teens when she won the booker prize. I was in great awe of her. When I am someones fan I really am their fan. You wouldn't believe, I even got my nose pierced and forced my mother to buy me a diamond nose ring just to look like her. She looks so beautiful on the picture on her book. Well I don't wear the ring any longer but I still like her a lot.But unfortunately she hasn't written a lot since.
Also the book 'God of small things' is very special to me, as my husband now boy friend then gifted me a paper back version. It was his first gift to me.
hmmm ur post made me think... a lot.... good one dodi.. will post a comment after I get my thots straight..
@Music fan Oh take your time, I need to get my thoughts straight too.
I am getting so confused these days. More so because of blogging, I write like I think with some ideolgies but then there are no actions to follow.
But then atleast by blogging, my thoughts are getting crystalised,documented. That itself is an action probably. But I feel there is so much to do in every aspect of life and I am doing nothing other than thinking and writing. When you say my article made you think, I am hopeful that atleast you or other readers more capable than me can make a difference.
well the topic is very topical and well presented. i have some reservations though. i strongly doubt that technology free world is golden. i believe that one should always endeavour to better ones standard of living, it may be as basic as what you eat or having the so called luxuries. i personally believe that the answer is to search for better technologies and not to go back to the primitive ages where you had to rely on bullock or horse drawn carts for transport and eating raw food. and to go to extremes may be we dont have to worry about free natural air because being as accomplished as the human race is we may be able to create a better and cleaner air than the so called "natural air". if at all we need excuses its not for creating or making use of new tecnologies and luxuries etc, rather the excuses we should make ready for would be if we didnt better whats already existing which was accomplished by the best resource on this planet, "the human mind".
Very powerful writing
My neighbor friend family also faces the same situation. The company, where my friend’s dad was working as a labour, was closed suddenly; they don’t know what to do. He don’t know any other work, for 2 months they barrow form us and others well known person, in a situation when they cant control the family. My friend stopped his studied and started to work, and his dad not getting a job, he chose for night watch man.
The workers don’t know the business, just they work and earn, and the full change was the company’s owners. If the quality of the product decrease or the loss of their shares in the marker are the some reasons for the closing of the company. I think there is a low, if a company was in a loss situation the government has the rights to take it and save the employees. I just telling what I think, really I don’t know the reason for the close of the companies.
The bitter truth.
You are so insightful!
I worry about the way the world is
for my son... he is 17.
It is such a mess.
I have to say I am somewhat discouraged!
Thanks for this post and for being
you!
Thanks for the thought provoking post. It is true that we have our previous generation to blame for their actions that resulted in the conditions we are living in today.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the comments. Take care -ari.
@Madhav, my intention wasn't and isn't to put technology in bad light. Technology is nothing but our own invention and the purpose of it is to better lives. My point is when a big change takes place lot of people are adversely affected, agreed in many situations it could be unavoidable. These people deserve sincere support to get through the period.
You made absolutely excellent point about 'human mind' being the best resource of this planet. Brillaint, thank you for that.
@Jeevan, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us. You brought about again a very good point that most of the workers end up just having one skill and once they are jobless they struggle to get a new job as they don't know anything else.
Atleast, the family is blessed with good friends to get them through the situation. I am feeling bad for your friend though who had to drop off his education. I hope things get better for them
@Imemine, truth seldom seems to be sweet. Thanks for your visit and all your help
@Margie,Thank you. Well just insight aint gonna lead me anywhere. I gotto do more. Don't be discouraged, world just needs a shake up to wake up and act.
@ari, heartiest welcome to you.I am glad you liked the post.Hope you visit my workshop again.
I try and read as many new blogs as I can but lately I am not getting as much time. But I do make it a point to comment unless I am dumbstruck.
You said the world needs a shake up and wake up act!
Gosh... I hope it will happen!
I am trying my best to do what I can!
@Dale, sorry love I missed replying you. Thanks for your visits. Hope you continue visiting even after we are out of this place.
Thank you..
It's gud to read the responses for your "wiped out"..
And i've my "wipe outs"..hehe..Read more on my DD
the very nature of emerging economies in the past is its reliance on raw materials and its ability to be self sufficient. The miners and builders thought they can survive till the new century, but natural forces and human movement doesnt go together with work dynamics. Since the 90's the knowledge economy became the top provider and it came as a curse to the low educated, less soft skilled people. You can imagine the average person nowadays change job every 3 years...and yes it is much more dangerous and precarious nowadays. Last time they had the perseverence to raise us against all odds...but will we have the slightest guts to do the same? And worst to come is that countries like CHina will be hogging all kind of jobs and services included in the near future...to a tune of almost 99%. That leaves the rest of the world with 1% real job and opportunities...where do we go from here?
Thanks GP for your input, true what you said. Real jobs are all disappearing from rest of the world. It is a matter of real concern.
nice way of drafting your views. I am really carried away in your narration - the narration is just as apt as if like i am doing a speech in an elcution compt. fine my engilish is not as good as you with no spellign mistake or grammar.
apart from the language -= you make a great interospection of a movie that affected you. Do you know in india - Mangalore - iron ore mine ( worlds second best iron resource next to one in australia) is asked to close down - the pathetic situation is - it is closed by the reason of polluting the atmospher but closing has devasted 10,000 families and the business run around due to the mining.
Before i give my view on this - some time we ( including me) become selfish and self oriented and certain things are doen with no reason or justification. Only after the war - ashoka the great realised why he waged a war on kalinga - Alxendar the great only after gettting to the banks of river sutlej and fighting with poreus ( is the river name i menion right?) on his return realised i is doing a task that he could never accomplish in his life time.
many things - we could realise only after seeing the consequences. Is this not human ire?
it has been passed to us and will be passed till the human exists.
@Known Stranger, language is only means of communication. And you have communicated your thoughts clearly.
I didn't know about the mine in M'lore. How can one decide whats good or bad, pollution or unemployment. I hope though those 10000 people were given support to face the situation
Yes I agree we are all selfish thats how our nature is.
What an excellent point you have raised about Ashoka, Thank you so much for that.
Yes unfortunately many things we only learn by mistakes, but then some mistakes come at a very great price.
Thank you once and again.
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