Speed, Technology, Progress ...

Randy Bear (rbear@texas.net)
Wed, 25 Jan 1995 12:47:54 -0600

Jack, I agree that "a society which systematically puts people out of work
is obsolescent". However, I'm not sure all this progress is really
putting people "out of work". Maybe I'm an idealist, but I tend to think
we are providing opportunities to refocus the energies of these workers to
new challenges. The cycle you explained (people lose work, they are less
able to buy things they need...) looks at the issue from one perspective,
the displacement of workers. What if we looked at it from the perspective
of the displaced workers? As people lose work, they search for new
opportunities of employment. These workers may acquire new skills through
job training programs or formal institutions. The new skills may allow
the workers to help expand new business ventures or markets, increasing
the overall domestic product and potentially expanding the need for
energy. How about looking at it from the consumer point of view? By
reducing the rates through technology innovation (displacement of labor),
more income is provided to pursue ventures previously unattainable. These
new ventures could help expand markets, increasing the overall domestic
product and ... you get the picture.

One of the beauties of systems thinking and OL that I have enjoyed has
been the opportunity to look at situations from multiple viewpoints and
the ramifications of those viewpoints. The framework presented in the 5th
Discipline helps break down the viewpoints and understand what makes the
systems tick (it's one thing to look at a car, it's another to be able to
repair the car). The bottom line is that one small change to the
environment can drive a variety of outcomes (that infamous butterfly).
Where I am is stuck pondering under a tree where I should focus my talent
and energy, worrying about the chaos and trying to gain a better
understanding or letting the chaos rule and focusing on my small portion,
hoping the chaotic rule will drive the right direction. No conclusions,
just more questions.

I do appreciate the comments made by the regular contributors to this
list. Each has opened new trails of thought that allow us lurkers to
occasionally jump to the front and point out new things on the trail and
then slip quietly to the back to enjoy the views. Hopefully the thoughts
I raise help keep us on this understanding of the chaos and how technology
is affecting our lives. I do agree that technology changes are affecting
the general state of society. In Bill Clinton's State of the Union last
night, he pointed out the times he enjoyed attending Chelsea's softball
games and talking to people. I remember times like that, growing up in a
community just a few miles down the road from Little Rock. Those times
are slowly fading, giving way to a new lifestyle that sometimes seems
rushed and hectic. While I may miss those times, I am not advocating
scrapping all the advances just to bring those times back. These changes,
while appearing regressive now, are opening new opportunities to improve
our society (a good example is this forum, where I can expand my frame of
reference with others tied together through technology).

Just some thoughts from a fellow hiker.

Randy Bear
Information Services Support (210) 456-2142
United Services Automobile Association San Antonio, TX 78288
From: rbear@texas.net (Randy Bear)