Though Adam Smith is frequently associated with modern capitalism, he could be accused of or credited with (depending on your perspective) some socialist thought as well, as illustrated in this passage from 'The Wealth of Nations':

"In the progress of the division of labour, the employment... of the great body of the people, comes to be confined to a few very simple operations... The man whose life is spent in performing a few simple operations, of which the effects too are, perhaps always the same, or very nearly the same, has no occasion to exert his understanding... He naturally loses, therefore, the habit of such exertion, and generally becomes as stupid and ignorant as it is possible for a human creature to become."

Karl Marx couldn't agree more.

Though we are certain that Mr. Smith was not advocating collective ownership, he was warning of a danger inherent in a capitalistic division of labour. It appears (from my limited research) that his recommendation for avoiding this dumbing-down of the working class in the workplace, is schooling and education; as opposed to Mr. Marx who did recommend collective ownership - and we see how that has worked out. Agreeing with Mr. Smith, I have also (throughout this site) advocated education and the importance of constant learning and growth. But the danger today lies not only in the workplace. Technology has taken us from the industrial worker of Adam Smith's day to the knowledge worker of today; and this progress combined with ever-increasing consumerism has shifted this dumbing-down to also (and I believe, more so) encompass the resulting market-driven onslaught.

I have recently spewed forth considerable written thought on consumerism, and the need for an education that would support and nurture a more rational, less emotional understanding of the deviously-compelling communication surrounding consumer goods and services. We have transitioned from working drones to consumer drones. We are fortunately though, living in an age where one's Purpose and identity does not necessarily have to be associated with one's job, workplace, or the acquisition of stuff. By taking advantage of the many avenues of self-education, and putting forth some effort, the working/consumer class in many countries can truly avoid the danger of 'stupidity and ignorance' as described by Adam Smith, and also avoid that same 'stupidity and ignorance' resulting from the tyranny of the majority as it is connected to consumerism, narcissistic conformity, bureaucracy, and mass media sleight-of-hand. And as I have said before, the saddest part is that the tyrannizing majority is often not an actual majority, but only a vocal majority - a vocal majority holding onto their power by distracting us with pretty promises and shiny, new consumer goods and services.

We are not a collective, nor will we ever be. But we also are not a society of individuals, and Liberty is not as accessible / attainable as it could be. (I am again veering towards recent written thought, so I am inclined to take a step back for a few hours to better understand where I am going...)

After re-calibrating my internal GPS ...

My thoughts in the past 24 hours have revolved around an Uprising! A Revolution! Rebellion! An innovative, independent insurgency, (carried out with respect and humility), against those who power and perpetuate bureaucracy, narcissism, consumerism, and all those other evils mentioned and implied above and in previous posts. I mapped it all out in my head:

• Innovative: a creatively quiet disruption of 'business as usual' via seemingly random acts of defiant subversion that attack or (at the least) avoid abstruse propaganda.
• Independent: individual plans of attack / avoidance not to be shared before or after the fact in order to confuse and frustrate the powers that be, and to ensure genuine buy-in and follow-through by the rest of us. This insurgency will only work if it is independent; market-driven conspirators will smell out an organized human-driven conspiracy.
• Humble: knowing that I alone will not change the world, but actively hoping that more and more individuals will fight the good fight independently, ultimately turning the tide, and knowing for that to happen, I must do my part.
• Respectful: no intentional lasting harm... Understanding that many (perhaps most) of those in power have been indoctrinated to believe in what they do, and understanding that the only way to re-humanize them is to remove their source of power; i.e. our herd mentality.

It sounds difficult (at best) to conduct a rebellion without organizing; but by organizing we would be presenting a united front that would quickly be analyzed and quantified by wealthy market-driven collectives, who would counter with their greater resources to again take advantage. Effective insurgence must be independently planned and executed specific to one's interests and circumstance. Following are 11 seditious suggestions:

1. Ignore 'Sales' that need more than 10 words to explain, and/or that you do not understand. In fact, when a store is having such a sale, you should avoid that store entirely, unless it is in search of an 'absolute necessity' - (see #4 below).
2. When presented with policy, procedure, rules, or other muddy verbal or written bureaucraspeak, ask for simplification until you do understand. Do not be afraid to say "I don't understand' Or "I don't know."
3. (As much as possible) don't voluntarily talk to lawyers acting in an official capacity, and avoid anything generated or influenced by a lawyer.
4. Set aside one week per month (or 2 days per week) and more if/when you are able, in which you only purchase 'absolute necessities' - you define 'absolute necessity' but be strict and play fair; if you don't typically spend 'mad' money Monday thru Thursday, don't choose only those days to restrain yourself. Additionally, reduce ALL work/market days from the available 24/7 to a maximum 16/7. And on any day, if you buy it, you must ultimately use it for its intended purpose.
5. Whenever possible buy used - buy local - avoid chains - trade down - barter goods and services - do not buy over the phone or from the TV - avoid interest and fees.
6. Invest in a DVR and never watch another commercial; or better yet, turn off the TV and pick up a book.
7. Car pool, bicycle, or walk.
8. Don't pay someone to do anything that you can do as effectively. If you don't know how to cook - learn.
9. Purchase / own only one vehicle for every 2 to 3 people in your household. If this causes hardship, figure it out.
10. Do not vote for an incumbent to any office beyond the local level, and even then, think (at least) twice.
11. Know the difference between market currencies and human currencies; (see this post and this post); you figure out which is more important to you, and when.

Regardless of where you work (manufacturing, production, a service industry, health-care, education, government, etc.) or don't work, in many ways (it appears) a majority of us have become knowledge workers. It is now time for each one of us, individually, to choose to expend the effort to evolve (and quickly) from simply a knowledge worker to a knowledge seeker. Each one of us, individually, must find our sense of insurgency. No matter the effort to dumb-me-down I can push back and choose to seek Knowledge, Wisdom, and Truth; and ultimately, in the course of my Lifetime, Happiness.