Wage Economy

This song is about a person that lives inside a society that uses a wage economy. They are experiencing depression from being overworked and underpaid, but still find hope in nature and positivity. Wage economies breed higher rates of suicide, depression, and other mental health issues compared to foragers, who have extremely high rates of happiness. Raising prices, an impeding, global food crisis in 1250, and the fact that poorer countries spend 70% of their income on food alone (Susan Ruth) is an obvious sign that wages, and even the economy in general, is not oriented for human flourishing and causes more harm than good. People today can have their entire life ruined from needing a car part, like how the song mentions “that burger and car part cost me four workdays”. Increased poverty can have a causal effect of increased depression and anxiety. Lowering stress, proper environmental care, suitable shelter, and most important, policy change and a positive childhood environment are all ways to mitigate poverty and in turn depression. When I say, “but it’s what I've got, so I’ll make it work” and continue about plants, I am calling for a nature-oriented economy and infostructure, and that is really the sum of the message in the song: let us get back to nature! Mental health and poverty are only on the rise, and people need to work together, and harness the creativity of nature to help it and us. (PATEL, 2020) (Susan Ruth)
patel, m. R. (2020, december 11). Poverty, depression, and anxiety: causal evidence and mechanisms. Retrieved from science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay0214#:~:text=rates%20of%20depression%2c%20anxiety%2c%20and,the%20highest%20incomes%20(5).
Pixabay. (n.d.). Pixabay. Retrieved from pixabay: pixabay.com
Susan ruth, p. (n.d.). Anthropology. Cnm.
“scene from lascaux cave, france” by william cromar is licensed under cc by-nc-sa 2.0.Show more

Fresh kills landfill on staten island, 1980. Public domain.