3 ms·

I like the comment, and you could add in the Roman "client" system which had real similarities. Rich citizens also acquired more status by donating public build

I like the comment, and you could add in the Roman "client" system which had real similarities. Rich citizens also acquired more status by donating public buildings or sponsoring games and festivals. More than one society has gone this route, with success. But just a couple corrections re potlatch society: slavery happened in the Pacific Northwest with and without potlatch; potlatch didn't cause slavery. The fishing grounds in this region were the richest in the world at the time (they collapsed almost a century ago under white rule), if you conquered a neighbor (and that was frequent) you could afford to keep 'em and feed 'em, at least for a long time until your population expanded. So slavery was practical in a way it isn't for nomads, say. Excess production was the norm. Unemployment was dealt with largely by exalting art, and devoting an immense amount of the GNP to that, with spectacular results over time. So most excess labor and production was actually devoted to art, not giveaways. I suspect that's the real lesson, although I'm a No Man's Sky devotee - it's a damn wonderful art generator, if you like landscapes, as I do. Maybe humans can't compete there, anymore, either! Warlordism in an age of drones will do little for unemployment; but it's also easier, particularly for democracies, if only your machines get bent up in a successful war of aggression. So it may happen more, but will not be a safety valve for unemployment.

GauntletWizard 10y ago
I've been promoting this as the real solution to unemployment - An explosion of incredibly custom and niche art of various forms. We're already seeing the early signs of this with the explosion of indie games and youtube personalities. Not simply personalities like PewDiePie and Markiplier, who are big enough that they're more and more traditional media, even if they came from simpler roots - But the shows that have a few thousand or even hundred viewers. It's not profitable yet, but it's getting there. Patreon is a very key component of this - A few bucks here and there, and the creative class can earn a living - Or simply supplement a part-time job.
- braveo 10y ago
  > We're already seeing the early signs of this with the explosion of indie games and youtube personalities. That's a non-sequitur, you may as well say we're seeing this with the explosiong of freelancers and personal businesses. Because that's really what those youtube personalities are, but that doesn't really address the issue of the older folks who have lost their jobs.
  - Nomentatus 10y ago
    Because we're talking about patronage systems here, profit isn't strictly necessary - you just have to be able to attract patrons; and patrons have to be especially valued by society (gain status) for sponsoring artists with even small followings. (Although government patronage might have to be part of the transition to such a scheme.) Then more older folk artists could be included, but I think this will do more to address future unemployment than present unemployment. I'd settle for that, it seems an ambitious at that.

GauntletWizard 10y ago

I've been promoting this as the real solution to unemployment - An explosion of incredibly custom and niche art of various forms. We're already seeing the early signs of this with the explosion of indie games and youtube personalities. Not simply personalities like PewDiePie and Markiplier, who are big enough that they're more and more traditional media, even if they came from simpler roots - But the shows that have a few thousand or even hundred viewers. It's not profitable yet, but it's getting there. Patreon is a very key component of this - A few bucks here and there, and the creative class can earn a living - Or simply supplement a part-time job.

braveo 10y ago
> We're already seeing the early signs of this with the explosion of indie games and youtube personalities. That's a non-sequitur, you may as well say we're seeing this with the explosiong of freelancers and personal businesses. Because that's really what those youtube personalities are, but that doesn't really address the issue of the older folks who have lost their jobs.
- Nomentatus 10y ago
  Because we're talking about patronage systems here, profit isn't strictly necessary - you just have to be able to attract patrons; and patrons have to be especially valued by society (gain status) for sponsoring artists with even small followings. (Although government patronage might have to be part of the transition to such a scheme.) Then more older folk artists could be included, but I think this will do more to address future unemployment than present unemployment. I'd settle for that, it seems an ambitious at that.