The Penultimate goal of
life: Peanuts
Tyler Durden, in the movie, 'fight club' states extremely bluntly, "If you erase all the debt records, you go back to zero."
I moved to London three weeks ago and now I understand what he meant. London is considered to be the financial capital of the world. The city with access to anything and everything under the sun. Also, according to me, a city on the zenith of alienation. Anyway, I am just a student, so I don’t think my personal thoughts really matter.
What I learnt in my first few weeks here and analyzed in the extremely lonely corridors of my flat was that the goal of an average person in the present system is roasted peanuts. Now let me state an instance: Say you work with a global organization that has a turnover running into trillions. You are proud to have been selected by their HR team which comprises of the big fish of the corporate world. Now, by the logic of the theory of surplus value, let’s say that the company you are working for keeps 85% of a turnover of 10 billion dollars. And uses 10% of it in operational costs (because let’s not be dumb by believing that they don’t establish themselves in tax havens). What is diverted to your income is 5% of the entire turnover and from that 5%, it sponsors a million of its employees all over the world. Now depending upon your geographical location on earth, if you belong to a developing and underdeveloped nation, they sponsor you with 0.5% of the 5% from the entire turnover. I call it 'the giffen income' (derived from the term 'giffen goods'). So they basically keep you alive on bajra and that bajra (i.e. your income), helps you to maintain a less than luxurious but more than average lifestyle (do the math).
Next they make you the VP of their establishment and you move towards the category of salted peanuts. More income, more respect, but nothing as compared to what could be achieved with an economic equilibrium.
But of course, economic equilibrium can take a lot of sacrifices to come by, so you decide to be happy with your luxurious life where you can buy stuff that is more expensive than a yin-yang coffee table.
Then one fine day, they give you a promotion and you become the CEO....(but not the owner). So then, you get roasted peanuts and you can afford casual dinners in five stars but not the penthouse suites or the private jets. And by then you are just going to retire and you
have lots of information and guidance to give to the people around you, so become satisfied and relaxed and accept your fate. And alas! you started as a management consultant (just a metaphor).
This is the status of the income distribution levels on earth. We start out to do something big and the world makes us believe that roasted peanuts are the best and that’s where we have to get. Wow!
Alarming situation, yet people run after it. Run after the money, leaving everything else (especially concern for society behind). But of course, they are victims. Who would want to give up the ownership and control of maximum of world's resources to be happy so they have to apply psychological propaganda to make you believe that your goal is 'roasted peanuts'!
Anyhow, this is just my opinion. And well, who am I but just another silly voice among the commoners who wants to fight against alienation and extreme materialism. Peace out!
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