I thought it was very interesting what attracted and kept people working for the Husk Power Systems cause...their emotional attachment to the program. People chose a noncompetative salary, and awful working conditions because of what good came to the small indian village simply from the Power systems existing there. This article made me wonder about the significant difference in mentality between those working in such conditions in a developing country, and those working here in America. Americans have such an evident sense of entitlement (said with a negative connotation) that fogs any emotional reason for us to do a job. A good example is how Americans feel about and utilize their government provided services. Americans expect their social services to provide an array of advantages, and yet when it comes to talk about how the state or the federal government can no longer afford all or part of those services and they need to raise taxes or reduce benefits, most citizens won't have it. Americans have this mentality that they are entitled to something, but they shouldn't have to pay for it. In other countries, like Sweden, citizens purposefully pay large amounts of taxes so that the services they utilize are well funded and productive. The result is exponetial, including examples like their higher education system - every person who wishes can get a college education can do so at no extra cost because everyone paying taxes decided that that was a good, guaranteed way to invest their money through taxes. I think that's why the author's recount of the Husk Power Systems story was so meaningful...because those emotional attachments to providing and investing in other people are not common practice in the United States, and when we here about it, it is a true example of selflessness that is a rarity in our news.
Illuminating thoughts on power. Based on the title of the article I assumed it was going to be about political power but it turned out to be about electrical power and alternative energy. Specifically, the article was about villages in India using what was traditionally a waste product, rice husks, to generate electricity. Michigan, although somewhat slow to get on board, is now vigorously promoting various forms of alternative energy (wind, solar, biomass) as one of our best hopes for revitalizing the economy and protecting the environment.
I thought it was very interesting what attracted and kept people working for the Husk Power Systems cause...their emotional attachment to the program. People chose a noncompetative salary, and awful working conditions because of what good came to the small indian village simply from the Power systems existing there.
ReplyDeleteThis article made me wonder about the significant difference in mentality between those working in such conditions in a developing country, and those working here in America. Americans have such an evident sense of entitlement (said with a negative connotation) that fogs any emotional reason for us to do a job. A good example is how Americans feel about and utilize their government provided services.
Americans expect their social services to provide an array of advantages, and yet when it comes to talk about how the state or the federal government can no longer afford all or part of those services and they need to raise taxes or reduce benefits, most citizens won't have it. Americans have this mentality that they are entitled to something, but they shouldn't have to pay for it. In other countries, like Sweden, citizens purposefully pay large amounts of taxes so that the services they utilize are well funded and productive. The result is exponetial, including examples like their higher education system - every person who wishes can get a college education can do so at no extra cost because everyone paying taxes decided that that was a good, guaranteed way to invest their money through taxes.
I think that's why the author's recount of the Husk Power Systems story was so meaningful...because those emotional attachments to providing and investing in other people are not common practice in the United States, and when we here about it, it is a true example of selflessness that is a rarity in our news.
Illuminating thoughts on power. Based on the title of the article I assumed it was going to be about political power but it turned out to be about electrical power and alternative energy. Specifically, the article was about villages in India using what was traditionally a waste product, rice husks, to generate electricity. Michigan, although somewhat slow to get on board, is now vigorously promoting various forms of alternative energy (wind, solar, biomass) as one of our best hopes for revitalizing the economy and protecting the environment.
ReplyDelete