Do you think there is a clear separation between progress and growth for the sake of growth?
Can’t stop thinking about this in the context of tech. Of course technological advances are a good thing, but isn’t there a point where progress for the sake of progress stifles any productive use? Who exactly is benefiting here? A decade or so ago, I was still able to communicate how I’m communicating now, but things have gotten substantially worse.
I’m looking at the state of the internet and can’t help but look at how every algorithmic breakthrough has just been used to gather data for marketing purposes or targeted advertisements. Lmao and I don’t even know how you can consider that progress to be honest.
The wildest part about this is that you don’t even need to be a leftist to agree. Everyone hates targeted ads and marketing bullshit besides people who make money in marketing and advertisement.
This brings us to a critically important point. We must be clear about what growth actually is. It is not innovation, or social progress, or improvements in well-being. It is very narrowly defined as an increase in aggregate production, as measured in market prices (GDP). GDP makes no distinction between $100 worth of tear gas and $100 worth of health care. This metric is not intended to measure what is important for people, but rather what is important for capitalism. Of course, what is important for capitalism is not to meet human needs, or achieve social progress, but rather to maximize and accumulate capital. If social progress and well-being are our goal, it is not the market value of aggregate production that matters but rather what we are producing (tear gas or health care?), and whether people have access to essential goods and services (is the health care privatized or universal?). This is basic to socialist thought.
Yet the "it's the economy, stupid" talking point still won't die.
In order to keep the campaign on message, Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign headquarters that read:
Change vs. more of the same.
The economy, stupid
Don't forget health care.
Although the sign was intended for an internal audience of campaign workers, the second phrase became a de facto slogan for the Clinton election campaign.
Everyone hates targeted ads and marketing bullshit besides people who make money in marketing and advertisement.
More recently, I've witnessed many people that don't skip ads, watch ads on TV, and actually got annoyed when I told them I can help them use an adblocker. Most gave the reason that they're "entertaining". What can I say.