I appreciate the core of your idea very much and found myself thinking on the faceless authoritarian structure of our workplaces while listening to Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” earlier tonight.
In it, he spends a good deal of space describing antebellum America’s political institutions, how their “devolution” of powers to smaller and smaller constituencies enables and incentivizes the common citizen to engage in their self-government. The small local government is one accessible to all, easier to shape as an individual, and to be recognized by for service to one’s community. Whatever the effects of distributed governmental power on matters like economic growth (I would wager they are good), it importantly confers dignity on its citizens and provides them an avenue for direct and visible self-government. The present-day preponderance of well-meaning state and federal laws may have damaged the system that de Tocqueville describes, but I think the lessons he draws may yet be valuable in understanding how dignity might be reintroduced to the American workplace.
Interesting observations! I sometimes think Tocqueville was a wizard who could see the future, he did such an amazing job not just analyzing this country but predicting where we were heading. I totally agree that giving people dignity and purpose is essential to a good life, and efficiency is too often getting the way of what people believe is more important.
I feel like you have woven a lot of wisdom into this post. Take the paragraph about being a capitalist combined with the following one about the need for rules. I like that you have broken out of the same old tired lines that the two parties (re)tread and found some common sense. Maybe as we leave that tired trail we can find some more wisdom in the woods. Thanks for helping us notice this. Looking forward to talking about it too.
If this was Jeopardy I think the answer would be. - what is the nature of work as it’s attached to politics? Another thought provoking article by this author.
I really wish that the left activism of the past decade had focused on these issues, aiming to fix work. The Occupy movement and the Sanders 2016 campaign were really promising starts at that... but somehow the energy wound up switching to a focus on race and gender that wound up giving even more power to corporate HR departments.
I love this article and I think this is a great take on why people are angry. I was taught that one of government’s primary roles is providing a check on unfettered capitalism. For various reasons it seems this function has been abdicated.
This was a very prescient take. I noticed corporations became much more difficult to work in after the pandemic hit, especially after interest rates started rising. I very much agree that work should be one of the primary areas of focus as AI is taking hold. I have already noticed that headcount is being kept lower at my workplace as well as friends of mine at other companies. I think it is in part due to anticipation of automation and increased efficiency.
I’m not any sort of capitalist but found your essay thoughtful and to the point on how our economy has deteriorated and creating mass social alienation among tens of millions of workers.
"Our government and political class doesn’t yet understand this is increasingly what politics is about, or that it’s their job to address it."
I think they understand the problem quite well. The problem is that resolution of the problem will be bad for all or some of the governing elites, so doing nothing is the preferred option.
I appreciate the core of your idea very much and found myself thinking on the faceless authoritarian structure of our workplaces while listening to Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” earlier tonight.
In it, he spends a good deal of space describing antebellum America’s political institutions, how their “devolution” of powers to smaller and smaller constituencies enables and incentivizes the common citizen to engage in their self-government. The small local government is one accessible to all, easier to shape as an individual, and to be recognized by for service to one’s community. Whatever the effects of distributed governmental power on matters like economic growth (I would wager they are good), it importantly confers dignity on its citizens and provides them an avenue for direct and visible self-government. The present-day preponderance of well-meaning state and federal laws may have damaged the system that de Tocqueville describes, but I think the lessons he draws may yet be valuable in understanding how dignity might be reintroduced to the American workplace.
Interesting observations! I sometimes think Tocqueville was a wizard who could see the future, he did such an amazing job not just analyzing this country but predicting where we were heading. I totally agree that giving people dignity and purpose is essential to a good life, and efficiency is too often getting the way of what people believe is more important.
I feel like you have woven a lot of wisdom into this post. Take the paragraph about being a capitalist combined with the following one about the need for rules. I like that you have broken out of the same old tired lines that the two parties (re)tread and found some common sense. Maybe as we leave that tired trail we can find some more wisdom in the woods. Thanks for helping us notice this. Looking forward to talking about it too.
Very kind! I look forward to it too.
If this was Jeopardy I think the answer would be. - what is the nature of work as it’s attached to politics? Another thought provoking article by this author.
I really wish that the left activism of the past decade had focused on these issues, aiming to fix work. The Occupy movement and the Sanders 2016 campaign were really promising starts at that... but somehow the energy wound up switching to a focus on race and gender that wound up giving even more power to corporate HR departments.
I love this article and I think this is a great take on why people are angry. I was taught that one of government’s primary roles is providing a check on unfettered capitalism. For various reasons it seems this function has been abdicated.
This was a very prescient take. I noticed corporations became much more difficult to work in after the pandemic hit, especially after interest rates started rising. I very much agree that work should be one of the primary areas of focus as AI is taking hold. I have already noticed that headcount is being kept lower at my workplace as well as friends of mine at other companies. I think it is in part due to anticipation of automation and increased efficiency.
I’m not any sort of capitalist but found your essay thoughtful and to the point on how our economy has deteriorated and creating mass social alienation among tens of millions of workers.
"Our government and political class doesn’t yet understand this is increasingly what politics is about, or that it’s their job to address it."
I think they understand the problem quite well. The problem is that resolution of the problem will be bad for all or some of the governing elites, so doing nothing is the preferred option.
…the future of politics should be class leaders…