Search This Blog

02 October 2009

Noisy Machines

.
"If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense."

I do not know who first coined that bit of wisdom, but it sums up the profit driven culture of the (allegedly) developed world.  I am not an anti-capitalist.  I think people should be able to make a living from their intellect, their labor, their ideas and their products.  But somewhere along the line, we have forgotten that we are human beings.

I remarked to someone recently that corporate human resources departments are aptly named:  human beings are a resource to be exploited.  Much like computers, desks, copiers, fax machines and waste bins, once a human machine no longer serves its purpose, or becomes a liability due to costly repairs, it is replaced with another.   If a machine starts to make a distracting noise, a repair technician will take a look at it, and if it can be silenced it will be done and the work of making money will continue.  If the machine can not be silenced it will be replaced with a new quiet model.

Luckily for the corporations of the world, human machines are self replicating.  There is always a fresh crop ready to be harvested and put to into service earning for the corporation.  We train our children to be good human machines.  And in doing so, we guarantee that the cycle will continue.  The human machines will work and help the corporation make profit until the human machine breaks down, then new machines will be brought in to continue the work.  It doesn't matter if the corporation is making widgets or selling art, profit is the goal and all other ideals are subordinate to profit.

The noisy machine is not profitable.  The noisy machine distracts the other machines, causing them to make a little noise themselves, and then the corporation has to take its valuable time to intervene and silence the noise.  The problem with being a noisy machine is there is no profit in noise.  Where there is no profit to be made from the machine, there is no future. for the machine  If it doesn't make dollars, then it doesn't make sense to keep the machine around.

I suppose that we do have a choice.  We are free to choose, right?  We can elect to get in line, punch the clock, take our wages and shut our mouths.  Or we can be the noisy machine. 



Bookmark and Share

3 comments:

  1. That was excellent Helen ! and it makes a lot of CENTS :)
    funky xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. This noisy machine will keep plugging away. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The writing was on the wall when they renamed 'Personnel' departments as 'Human Resources'. It became clear how much staff were valued then, and experience of the last few years has borne that out. However, its a treadmill that too many of us can't find a practical way out of, so we have little choice but to go along with it. As long as you remain aware of your lowly status, don't fall for company spin and platitudes, and continue to do just enough to avoid being sacked, and no more... then its just about bearable.

    ReplyDelete

Amazon

Like to Write?

ShareThis