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February 19, 2005

Out to pasture

But the pasture's going to be bleak. Gilles and I have been joking about learning to grow vegetables instead of building software. It's not a joke.

Tilly spotted the article at CadreEmploi.fr, Seniors : le chômage fatal ?.

Lots of handwringing, head-shaking, and fatalistic words from old guys at the peaks of their long careers, explaining to the rest of us why it's inevitable we'll be kicked out younger and younger.

In the US we have our irony glands excised at birth so we don't notice. All of us that can end up heavily invested in the market. Then we get kicked out by companies who need to replace expensive experienced workers with cheaper up-and-comers, thereby increasing pressure on companies to perform for investors as we move from getting paid to getting dividends. So everyone sides with the old guys explaining why it's all inevitable, those guys reap progressively huger rewards, and some of us potentially get modest financial security at the expense of everyone else.

I really ought to get better at growing vegetables.

Posted by Mark at February 19, 2005 09:46 AM

Comments

Well, your mother cared a lot more when you were young, but you took it for granted. Now she just thinks there is nothing she can do about anything you do anyway. (Nor does she really want to) Either the good stuff took, or you'll invent your own good stuff to do.
Mom

Posted by: Teena at February 20, 2005 12:48 AM

My mother got laid off when she was still young. I don't know whether that's good, but it'll probably take in my case.

My dad also got laid off. My stepdad probably would've been laid off had he not worked in the public sector.

Look at who is not getting laid off, won't get laid off, yet assures those who are that this sort of thing is inevitable. What exactly do they mean by inevitable? And what are the implications of what they mean by inevitable?

Posted by: Mark at February 20, 2005 11:38 AM