I am 70 years old. These are called "The Golden Years." But really the are "The Platinum Years." The reason is simple. Never in history have millions of the elderly lived so well. We have the computer that permits us to do everything from banking, to attend college, to communicate with people from across the globe, to create music and make a movie, all from the comfort of home. We have cable television that provides endless entertainment and news. We never have to be alone. We can get practically everything we want without leaving our home. All for basically a modest price. Compare this to years ago when the elderly were often confined to a rocking chair on a porch, cut off from mainstream society, totally dependent on family, friends and neighbors. The elderly were often pushed aside, considered too old to do anything creative. "The Platinum" years, however, comes with a price. The computer and cable gobble up jobs like a hungry beast. Every Christmas card created on a computer is one less card sold in a store. Every movie rented on cable is one less ticket sold at the movie house. Every college course taken on the web means fewer travelers, fewer snacks, jackets, pens and pencils sold on and near the campus. We know this but we don't really understand it. The extent of the job destruction is as hard to comprehend as is the national debt. The number is too big for us to get our arms around it. The job destruction, like the national debt, is an 800 pound gorilla in the room. Government statistics indicate people are reducing their spending out of necessity or fear or both. But we're also whistling in the dark, banking that government policy will eventually create enough jobs to bring back prosperity for the vast majority of citizens. But that's not a given by any stretch of the imagination. We've never faced this situation before whereby computers, the Internet and human-like robots can do work better and more efficiently than humans. A robot that can display empathy and bring an old man like me comfort and companionship, will take jobs away from the young and middle aged. Jobs will continue to be lost to low wage countries. Students in foreign countries will study American law via the web and be hired by American law firms to handle some of the work load. And it goes on. What's troubling is that there is not a sense of national emergency over jobs. The biggest story of the 21st century so far has been the death of Michael Jackson, an entertainer who played no role in the nation's economy or future. I just wish the national media would give the same attention to the job crisis as it did to Mr. Jackson death. And the issue just isn't job creation. it's also about creating good jobs with benefits. We must never forget the government can do just so much. And government can take away what it gives, just ask the educators and social workers in California. We need to go into a World War 11 mode about jobs. We need to get across to the general public that job destruction is the greatest crisis we've ever faced as a nation and we need preparation and sacrifice. It's the faiiure of our leaders to adequately articulate the crisis that's what's tarnishing my "Platinum Years."

Discuss

Default_normal

tim hall on July 30, 2009, 10:45 AM

Robert, I really sympathize with your outlook on platinum years regarding the unemployed. However, the advances in technology far out weigh the very minute time in history of an employment crisis. The sacrifice of less educated jobs throughout the western leading nations in return for mass numbers of rural 2nd and 3rd world survival is simply a part of unstoppable natural human evolution.

As more technology advanced humans of western nations, it is our job to always counter natural evolution in such a way that it does not have negative outcomes but at the same time leaves us with an array of platinum, gold and bronze outcomes for our efforts. This balance is seemingly hard to achieve with the exponential factor of technology and communication not being fully realized by it’s mass consumers.

The trend of this very minute place in history is for the mass humans to fully rely on the intelligence of a small number of highly educated government officials and scientist to correctly guide them into the future comfortably with very little effort on their part. With almost zero input from the masses, a lot of problems will incur.

The internet has provided a great source for the masses to become more educated and advance exponentially in creative technologies. At first look it seems that we could possibly solve a lot of our inconsistencies and disagreements through this escalated form of communication. However, it is my observation as a visual communicator (by trade) that we are grossly leaving out a leading human fact of life.

Humans naturally communicate in person using body language, facial expression and emotional vibrations that they have yet to fully understand. The internet communication that we are experiencing as masses is lacking all these crucial components. This leaves a false reassurance that we have created a means of having better control of our outcomes.

However, we could use this same natural evolutionary technology to enhance physical communication and get back on the right track. Humans, through natural evolution invented cities in order to come together physically and promote platinum, gold and bronze ways of life. Then they got a big head with the individualist movement and dismantled what they had created.

The way to bring back more truthful communication of the masses by use of this great technology, is as always a grass-roots movement (from inside out, bottom up). By creating very local web-sites that give people within their community a chance to introduce themselves and realize that their neighbors are fishermen, basket weavers, amateur chefs, car buffs, etc.,  we could cause natural physical connections that promote more result driven communication. Another words put a real live face to what we do here. You get an added plus side for the loads of cheap fun you can have if you only new your neighbor had same interests. As a visual communications and social promoter to better enhance lives, this is the only way I can visualize mass populations building their platinum world.

Note: I am not sorry this post is so long. Rather, I am sorry this post is not in person.  Hey! can you please bring that coffee cart down my street? I would like to wish my neighbor well on my way to work in the morning! Hey! what happen to that Fuller Brush salesman, I really liked our conversations on community issues.

Add a Comment

You must be logged in to comment. Log in or Register