zlacker

Well that's the word, isn't it: 'typically'. That hasn't happened. The activities that make life worthwhile have largely been priced out for the average person. I think that we can tarry about historical causes (and accomplish nothing, creating an ever-worsening feedback loop) or identify where changes could be made to incentivize productivity beyond what amounts to macroeconomic punishment.

As for the garbage man... can you blame him? What reason does he have to maintain the appearance of vigilance? Their routes are long, getting longer with cuts, they're largely understaffed, and they deal with both the contempt of the public and their refuse.

Conditions are actively getting worse for some; the UK's second largest city has proposed cutting wages by up to £8,000 p/a due to a bureaucratic nightmare of their own making [1].

It is a thankless job with no opportunity for progression which most people would rather put out of mind completely. Frankly, they deserve better.

[1] BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98gv5dpr7lo

>>saltwa+(OP)
> The activities that make life worthwhile have largely been priced out for the average person.

What activities make life worthwhile?