Hi Vicky,

It's interesting to see how roles that are higher and higher up the
value chain are seen as suitable for free working. The priorities of
mainstream society seem to valorise:

* Public sector managers - particularly those concerned with quality
assurance and risk management.
* Financial speculators.
* Accountants.
* Chief Executives of major multi-national companies.

None of these people add value in real terms. They don't even MEDIATE
value, as do, say, people as apparently useless as marketing executives.

Meanwhile, here in Sheffield, for two years we have been developing a
"ReFab Space" - a community based FabLab which concentrates on repair,
reuse, reinvention and reimagination. Its agenda relates strongly to
green innovation, sustainability, high-tech manufacture, engineering and
employability. What could be more attractive to funders???

How much funding have we received to set up this new centre so far? £2000.

In our city high tech skills have been labeled as a NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
This is because there's a high level of unemployment, while engineering
employers simply cannot find people skilled enough to do the advanced
jobs they are generating. The solution - of course - train people in
high tech skills. Simple!

And in response to this priority our City Council have cut their Adult
Learning team from 15 people to... two. And funded our FabLab by £2000 -
and that's a priority.

So I have been thinking hard about developing a new centre motto - "Will
Innovate for Food". Even the allegedly most important engagements with
new technologies, new economic models and new ways of working are
trumped by the dead hand of accounting and risk management. Chinese
economists are laughing at us.

Our mistake, of course, is in having ambition to do anything of actual
value at all! Is the key to making money in our late capitalist
condition is to add no value whatever?

Perhaps our final gambit should be to write a book about "The Failure
Industry" - how Sheffield never misses an opportunity to miss an
opportunity. But can we export? Of course! Everyone wants to hear how
other people have screwed up - so they can do the same thing themselves!

Best Regards,

James
=====

On 08/11/11 15:22, Jaromil wrote:
> On Tue, 08 Nov 2011, victoria sinclair wrote:
>
>

>>     Me!  problem is the state seems to think even directors and
>>     project managers are eternal interns now one of the reasons why i
>>     have escaped to south america ;) no more slavery!

>>
> I think this is made possible by the fact there is no internal
> (someone would call it class?) solidarity, nor the unions are doing
> their job (old adagio) and of course the so called "cultuur
> ambtenaars" (dutch for cultural administrators) are absolutely
> detached from the production processes they administer.
>
> so as it was for the chainworkers approach years ago, Fabi's flatmates
> (wow nice scene over there hey!) are doing the best thing that can be
> done now
>
> we still miss a media besides that of euro-money to circulate
> solidarity. for some time this has been squatting, but as it is banned
> and heavily criminalised in most places, i'm not sure what else is
> there? ospitality? knowledge sharing? we shall find a medium that
> crosses the boundaries of a single working place.
>
> ciao
>
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