Conversation

Notices

1. Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Sunday, 24-Dec-2023 19:15:08 JST Aral Balkan

   If you want to become rich and powerful you’re part of the problem.

   The problem isn’t that some other people are rich and powerful and you’re not. The problem is we have a system where some people are rich and powerful while others are denied even basic human dignity.

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 03:33:59 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Ether Diver

     @etherdiver Which is odd because the game wouldn’t exist if everyone refused to play it. Playing the game is how you perpetuate the game. Without the player, there is no game.

   • Ether Diver (etherdiver@ravenation.club)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 03:34:00 JST Ether Diver

     in reply to

     @aral in general I agree but I don't think it's shameful to want to become rich and/or powerful in a system where doing so is literally the only way to have any security.

     Or, as wise men are known to have said: Don't hate the player, hate the game

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 05:28:19 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Ether Diver
     • ninavizz

     @etherdiver @ninavizz Yes, and my post is clearly not aimed at folks trying to get by.

   • Ether Diver (etherdiver@ravenation.club)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 05:28:20 JST Ether Diver

     in reply to

     • ninavizz

     @ninavizz @aral in the US, it's not sufficient to simply earn enough to have housing/food security, since there's almost no safety net for anyone but rich people. If you want anything like real security in our society, you have to accumulate some amount of real wealth in case you, or someone you love, gets sick and can't work, for example.

   • ninavizz (ninavizz@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 05:28:22 JST ninavizz

     in reply to

     • Ether Diver

     @etherdiver There's a huge difference between desiring wealth to gain food/housing security—with some basic "perks" considered luxuries in American culture, but essential quality-of-life stuff in Europe (ability to travel, etc)—and desiring enormous wealth to accrue power and "compete" with other humans for resources.

     I do not see the prior as "playing the game" when done with intent and while participating in activities to guarantee basic rights to everyone.

     @aral

   • Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 25-Dec-2023 05:39:52 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Ether Diver
     • ninavizz

     @ninavizz @etherdiver This.