May 30, 2022·edited May 30, 2022Liked by Winston Smith
During university I remember having the strong sense that I wasn't a person to the vast institution I was paying to educate me; I was my student number, and nothing more. This depersonalized experience felt completely antithetical to education. After graduation I experienced none of the fondness for my alma mater that one would normally expect. It's impossible to feel bonds of affection for an impersonal mechanism that shuffles you around like so many variables in an equation. The result for my alma mater is that they have received, and will receive, no donations from me - I haven't the slightest impulse to do so.
The pursuit of algorithmic efficiency uber alles is alienating both horizontally and vertically - between people, and between people and organizations. Who now feels loyalty to their employer? To their city? To their country? You can only love that which loves you back.
The university experience in the states is one of the more fascinating cons of modern life. A Ponzi scheme built through government guaranteed loans promising returns for all. There are no consequences for incompetence or failure, the next products are in line waiting to enter the factory. The education equivalent for humans of charlie Chaplin's modern times. Disconnected, dehumanizing, institutionalized places of liberal worship to be churned through by the managerial state and its devoted adherents.
I spent my first two years at a community college. It was my best educational experience. The classes were small. You were able to have meaningful conversations with instructors. You felt seen and heard. University and graduate education were much less intrinsically rewarding.
I know plenty of people who love their alma mater, their city, their president even (mostly cause he's not Trump). I have always felt like an outsider.
I feel none of it. So I can't say that it is the fault of the system or me.
I certainly know people who have a fondness for their alma mater. That's how it should be. My mistake was to attend a very large, heavily bureaucratized school that was an early adopter of the corporate managerialism that has been gradually consuming academia.
I've spent about 13 years at universities as a student - I'd say there were about 5 years, in the smaller post-grad cohorts, where I felt less a number and more an intrinsically valuable person with valuable contributions to make. Nevertheless I don't have any emotional, or otherwise, bond to those institutions. Now, of course, they have become incubators of some sort of woke socialism :-(
Well I've done a few now (did you see the one I did for #3?), just finding the time is the challenge as it takes a bit of mucking around, as you would well know. I'll try to do one for each of the remaining parts in this series.
Yes I too had to make notes by number to define a person and their issues. Often there is no real match close enough has to do. It is interesting to see how many people are completely unaware that they are already a group of numbers, the only real difference will be less numbers, streamlined to meet all government needs.
The private business world treats employees pretty much like universities treat their students.
Both are considered sources of energy — basically “food”. Students pay $ as “food”.
Employees pay labor as “food”.
Use us up, wear us out, pay just enuf to keep us showing up the next day to pay for food, clothing, shelter — then discard us and replace us with the next batch of brand new batteries fresh out of school.
Still — before 1980 and the introduction and promotion of the popular new love affair with the MBA programs — which the pearl-clutching little yuppy generation of materialists/atheists (backlash to their hippy parents’ non-materialist values) took to like the proverbial ducks to water.
The “nesting” project began.
Rent movies from blockbuster.
Stay at home with personal partners and/or intimate friends.
Prepare 5-star restaurant cuisine at home using the latest kitchen home appliances like blenders & food processors and ice cream makers.
Who needs to go out?
Mix with the riff-raff?
Get one’s hands or shoes dirty?
“Cocooning” they called it.
Before smart phones came along, the “trend” was towards private house parties rather than attending large public gatherings.
It’s been a very l-o-n-g road traveled for a pretty long time.
One of the worst features of a left-brain-hemisphere AI centered society is that “society” gets cancelled. AI isn’t a society. Human beings make a society imo.
AI = Artificial Intelligence
AI = Alien Intelligence.
AI = Alien Insect intelligence.
Alien and alienating.
Off topic question: The attitudes of sooo many 5-Eyes + European “leaders” is sooo unpopular with their respective voter bases & still they continue with their agendas.
What possible incentive could these leaders be offered that would convince them to double-down and risk being overthrown by their own citizens?
Besides all the obvious incentives of power & money and status.
Just wondering if they may have been promised some form of “immortality”?
Thanks again, Winston, for great essay & fabulous video of pertinent points. 🧚♀️
During university I remember having the strong sense that I wasn't a person to the vast institution I was paying to educate me; I was my student number, and nothing more. This depersonalized experience felt completely antithetical to education. After graduation I experienced none of the fondness for my alma mater that one would normally expect. It's impossible to feel bonds of affection for an impersonal mechanism that shuffles you around like so many variables in an equation. The result for my alma mater is that they have received, and will receive, no donations from me - I haven't the slightest impulse to do so.
The pursuit of algorithmic efficiency uber alles is alienating both horizontally and vertically - between people, and between people and organizations. Who now feels loyalty to their employer? To their city? To their country? You can only love that which loves you back.
Great video btw.
The university experience in the states is one of the more fascinating cons of modern life. A Ponzi scheme built through government guaranteed loans promising returns for all. There are no consequences for incompetence or failure, the next products are in line waiting to enter the factory. The education equivalent for humans of charlie Chaplin's modern times. Disconnected, dehumanizing, institutionalized places of liberal worship to be churned through by the managerial state and its devoted adherents.
I spent my first two years at a community college. It was my best educational experience. The classes were small. You were able to have meaningful conversations with instructors. You felt seen and heard. University and graduate education were much less intrinsically rewarding.
I know plenty of people who love their alma mater, their city, their president even (mostly cause he's not Trump). I have always felt like an outsider.
I feel none of it. So I can't say that it is the fault of the system or me.
Your videos are great.
I certainly know people who have a fondness for their alma mater. That's how it should be. My mistake was to attend a very large, heavily bureaucratized school that was an early adopter of the corporate managerialism that has been gradually consuming academia.
I've spent about 13 years at universities as a student - I'd say there were about 5 years, in the smaller post-grad cohorts, where I felt less a number and more an intrinsically valuable person with valuable contributions to make. Nevertheless I don't have any emotional, or otherwise, bond to those institutions. Now, of course, they have become incubators of some sort of woke socialism :-(
Five minutes more or even fifty of a video of this caliber and I'd watch every second and probably rewatch it again. Pretty please Winston 🙏
Well I've done a few now (did you see the one I did for #3?), just finding the time is the challenge as it takes a bit of mucking around, as you would well know. I'll try to do one for each of the remaining parts in this series.
Yes, it can take more time than writing just hunting for the assets. The combination of v.o. on that imagery is excellent.
Yes I too had to make notes by number to define a person and their issues. Often there is no real match close enough has to do. It is interesting to see how many people are completely unaware that they are already a group of numbers, the only real difference will be less numbers, streamlined to meet all government needs.
The private business world treats employees pretty much like universities treat their students.
Both are considered sources of energy — basically “food”. Students pay $ as “food”.
Employees pay labor as “food”.
Use us up, wear us out, pay just enuf to keep us showing up the next day to pay for food, clothing, shelter — then discard us and replace us with the next batch of brand new batteries fresh out of school.
Still — before 1980 and the introduction and promotion of the popular new love affair with the MBA programs — which the pearl-clutching little yuppy generation of materialists/atheists (backlash to their hippy parents’ non-materialist values) took to like the proverbial ducks to water.
The “nesting” project began.
Rent movies from blockbuster.
Stay at home with personal partners and/or intimate friends.
Prepare 5-star restaurant cuisine at home using the latest kitchen home appliances like blenders & food processors and ice cream makers.
Who needs to go out?
Mix with the riff-raff?
Get one’s hands or shoes dirty?
“Cocooning” they called it.
Before smart phones came along, the “trend” was towards private house parties rather than attending large public gatherings.
It’s been a very l-o-n-g road traveled for a pretty long time.
One of the worst features of a left-brain-hemisphere AI centered society is that “society” gets cancelled. AI isn’t a society. Human beings make a society imo.
AI = Artificial Intelligence
AI = Alien Intelligence.
AI = Alien Insect intelligence.
Alien and alienating.
Off topic question: The attitudes of sooo many 5-Eyes + European “leaders” is sooo unpopular with their respective voter bases & still they continue with their agendas.
What possible incentive could these leaders be offered that would convince them to double-down and risk being overthrown by their own citizens?
Besides all the obvious incentives of power & money and status.
Just wondering if they may have been promised some form of “immortality”?
Thanks again, Winston, for great essay & fabulous video of pertinent points. 🧚♀️