Genius.

At least he didn't skive off work the last few days.

never had you down for being that old...

No, it hasn`t always happened. I was at school during the fifties and early sixties (when this weeks snow and ice would have been regarded as being very much on the low side of average) and can honestly say that none of the schools I attended were ever closed because of snow or ice, though I do remember a friend who missed some time due to the boiler not working. I fully appreciate that we just don`t get enough snow to become used to it these days, and I accept the `blame culture` argument, but does no one feel any personal responsibility anymore?

I understand that if you work in a different town you are in a bit of a bind but living and working (or kids going to school) in Bradford, if you can`t get the car out, then walk! It`s just a few inches of snow for Pete`s sake.....

Yeah that's my experience too. I find it embarassing that I have to park two streets away whereas my neighbour with the battered Fiesta sails up the street.

The funniest thing I have seen was a bloke stuck at Manchester Airport whose plane was cancelled. He was going to Finland to take part in a management team bonding exercise building igloos! Unfortunately in my experience people travelling around the place to complete totally pointless tasks with little social use is actually what most of our economy is built upon, and I am a bit wary of those who remember the snow always being deeper, the schools always being open, the trains always running on time, in some past golden age, very rarely proves to be the case.

I am also encouraged that people take the personal responsibility of hanging out with their kids and playing in the snow more seriously than doing jobs they don't like. As for trying to make teachers etc feel guilty for not working, i'd begin with making investment bankers feel guilty for working first. I'm sure economists will keep bleating about how much the 'economy' is losing, but then again they haven't quite understood that the economy is about the service of human needs and not the other way around, so stuff them.

Great post.

Fine words. One German economist in particular held those sort of views in the 19th century. Unfortunately, everywhere his theories were put into practice all we saw was poverty, human misery, impoverishment and - guess what? - most humans serving the needs of a small ruling elite. Maybe if a few more people understood that you have to create wealth before you can enjoy the benefits of it (like being able to afford to take the day off because of the weather - my Grandad was a miner who had to walk 8 miles each day each way just to get from home to the coal face and he never had that luxury if the family was to eat) we'd be in a better state than we are now.

And don't throw the investment bankers argument at me; throw the buggers off a cliff by all means - I'll give you a hand - but their greed and selfishness is a separate issue.

And now we have absolutely no poverty, human misery or impoverishment - oh hang on a second... just poverty of imagination.

All depends what sort of wealth are you talking about. As Rowan Williams pointed out before Christmas the etymology of the word economy is 'household and habitat' it describes the means through which we create the conditions for a good life. The fact that most people don't enjoy their jobs and that enormous amounts of energy goes in to disciplining them to do things they don't enjoy and that aren't socially productive and might even be downright damaging is hardly evidence of a successful economy. And the 'german economist' argument is not only a cliche it's not an argument, it's a straw man device and you know it. Your Grandad was a victim of the expropriation of his labour-power by those for whom he generated surplus value, the very people who had the time to take every day off because they lived of the work and alienation of others. The only saving grace being the culture of solidarity and resistance working under such conditions generated. Shame there's not more of that now, instead of all these mean spirited attempts to make people feel guilty for enjoying themselves, when they try and recoup some of the 'wealth' they're owed and have been owed for generations. I'm sure 'business' as usual will return only too soon.

Thank goodness for an economy that uses the energy of creative people to design free gifts for cornflake packets, designs obsolescence into products and thrives off making people feel they lack something in their lives - the latest tv, car, hair colour, slimming pill etc. You couldn't make it up, but unfortunately there's plenty of people out there to unthinkingly defend it.

Just to get it back on my own intellectual level, may I interject with my own thoughts.


Snow is cold.


Thanks!

Give me a shout when you want to return to the real world?