Merger Activity

Where did the summer go? Not that there is some big seasonal change here but because I like growing plants of all kinds I see changes underway, pointing to the end of a growing season and cooler weather ahead. Fortunately years ago I became interested in native plants. Interestingly these plants march to a different drummer. With a little rain they perk up-it's almost spring for them now. This helps to mitigate some of the negative effects of winter. Anyone who is into this sort of thing knows how remarkable it is to be able to have plants from around the world in your garden. For me it's just one of the real bonuses of being alive today.
Understandably though, like many personal interests, most others couldn't care less.
Of course I have no bone to pick with someone who doesn't give a hoot about gardening just as long as they give a hoot about something and that something isn't becoming famous or making vast sums of money.
Capitalism has been in overdrive and unrestrained for many years now and our inextricable obsession with it has seemingly created legions of people who are using every ounce of brain power and desire for that pursuit and it's leaving little for anything else.
To be clear, I believe in capitalism as much as anybody because the alternatives are proven losers. But it's become harder than ever to find people who don't define themselves by what they do for a living as opposed to who the are. What's worse is that they are often unaware of it. It's sort of like not missing air conditioning when you never had it.
I think that most thoughtful people anticipated such an outcome but the speed at which it has arrived is a little surprising.
I noticed a television commercial recently where there was a man who relished his good fortune that his business defined who he was and he felt good that he could pass the business on to his daughter so she could define who she was.
Now for a guy who rued the day Eric Clapton did his first beer commercial, this is awfully hard to take. I cut my philosophical teeth in the sixties, so for me each time I hear a formerly iconic song or image being used to sell something it's a little bit painful. I know this is the price of doing business because after all how many communes are still in operation. But completely merging what we are with how we earn is in some ways like what monoculture is to agriculture. Too many eggs in one basket.
There is a huge discussion due here but to keep it simple I'll just say that I consider it proven that there are certain susceptibilities, individually and collectively, that come about as a result of a narrowing of interests for any reason. In agriculture it is the lack of biodiversity that can potentially lead to crop failures. In human beings it sets up basic structures of thought pointing too many people in the same direction. A sort of malignant groupthink can emerge. In either case the outcome is not the optimum and is potentially catastrophic. Let history be our guide.