I think it's really gross to consider anyone an investment, a piece of 'human capital'. I read a book recently by Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos. It's about how

I think it's really gross to consider anyone an investment, a piece of 'human capital'. I read a book recently by Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos. It's about how modern ideology tries to redefine human beings in this way: You are capital which appreciates in value and gives you return on investment. All other definitions of what a human being is ought to be subordinate to this definition: Human as political creature is less important than human as economic investment. Human as member of society is less important than human competing in the free market. I found Brown's observations disturbing yet plausible, but I never expected to see these pernicious ideas flagrantly advocated in a mainstream newspaper. It feels like the void is trying to suck my soul out of my body when I try to think this way.