Cloudy Vision
jazzi...@gmail.com
a car wreck. The car got towed ($500), I got my license mailed back to
me, along with a traffic infraction of "Negligent Driving in the 3rd
Degree" ($600). I checked the "not guilty" box.
Fortunately, I'm covered by liability insurance, which should cover the
root canal that I had last week ($800), as well as the orthodontic work
and all the specialists I've seen: oral surgeon, two general dentists,
endodontist, orthodontist. I don't know about the massage, that might
not be covered.
Living in the Belly of the Beast is expensive!!! If you don't know what
I mean, what I mean is: we here in the United States exploit a lot of
people in the world. By exploit I mean profit off of their labor. So
there's this whole wage discrepancy issue, and our relative wealth is
so much higher! In East Timor, for example, the GDP- per capita (as
expressed in purchasing power parity), is somewhere around $400 (the
U.S. is a little over $40,000). So, Man From East Timor must work for
two years to have a root canal at the Olympia Endodontic Group. How
much would a root canal cost in East Timor? Perhaps it is impossible to
get. I really don't know, I haven't been there, and if I ever get the
opportunity, I hope I won't need a root canal.
So our services are pretty expensive. Olympia's a pretty cool place,
because you can still live a pretty good life without much money. But
teeth are very important.
Okay, that was a funny little trajectory. But on a note of power: if
money is power, then the best way to exert influence is to make your
money in a place of high GDP per capita, and to spend your money in a
place of low GDP per capita. I work a 9 to 5 here in Chicago, and then
I hire 100 people to work 9 to 5 for me in East Timor. But what would
you hire them to do, exactly? Overthrow the government? No, that's
pretty difficult, and it is like, so outplayed. That's what every
invader tries to get the locals to do. Sure, it's entertaining, but
it's pretty hard to overthrow the gov't with just 100 people. Also, if
it's really dangerous work, then the East Timorese are certainly going
to demand higher wages.
So, how about this: hire people to write you letters. We all like
receiving letters. Don't you? I don't mean the junk mail that comes
from the company trying to sell you mortgage insurance. I'm talking
about a nice personal letter telling you all about their life, and
asking, genuinely interested, how yours is going. Can you imagine
receiving even 3 letters a week from East Timor? It would take a fairly
small percentage of your income really. Pay three people a wage of two
hours + postage each week to write you a letter.
So, you say, I don't want to pay people to write me letters! Well,
then, good luck getting letters.
love,
jake
"What's so bad about capitalism, anyway?"
-Passerby