Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Closest You'll Get to Economic Utopia

While liberals and leftists do their best to create an economic utopia on Earth, and the best they can come up with is Detroit or North Korea, I've been fortunate enough to experience the closest humanity will ever come to a genuine economic utopia - an all inclusive resort.

You may chuckle a little bit here or there, but I am being serious.  All inclusive resorts (the ones without Mexicans or the locals constantly harassing you with trinkets) are precisely what economists, knowingly or not, are aiming for, and let me explain why.

First, I had to turn off my cell phone and laptop.  There was no internet or cell phone reception.  This forced me NOT to work.  Not only did it force me not to work, but because it was not an option, I never worried or fretted about it.  Work was no longer an issue.  Completely eliminated from my options and therefore completely eliminated from my mind.

Second, all your necessities are taken care of.  Food, clothing, shelter.  Yes, I had to work up the money to pay for them, but for a wonderful week it was the epitome of true unlimited resources.  I could drink until my liver puked, eat until I puked, sleep in my room, and not worry about anything.  I would not starve, and thus my lizard brain was not worried about hunting for food or providing for myself.

Third, with all the basics covered, the entirety of my efforts were focused on recreation and fun.  I don't think many people get to experience this, even those with unlimited resources.  You're always worried or focused on maintaining or increasing your wealth that you never take the time to enjoy it.  But (again) with leisure forced on you via no internet or cell phone access, you finally forgive yourself for not working and can finally let loose.  I think I played volleyball for 8 hours one day, snorkeled for a couple hours the next, laid on the lazy river for 10, and did waterslides for 20 (I also hosted races with some of the kids to see who had the best time, and yes, I dominated as I knew the technique of slingshotting yourself at the beginning of the slide).

Of course I knew the all inclusive resort was a fleeting phenomenon, and I would soon return to my (horrible) life of waking up at 1030AM, afternoon Rumpies, and writing for 4 hours, but I did have an epiphany or at least an observation:

Would not the all-inclusive resort be the best form of retirement?

As it stands right now, the United States and most European nations so heavily tax their citizenry that 2nd world countries can provide an all-inclusive resort for a fraction of the cost of most 1st world nursing homes.  And if you can afford a nursing home for the last ten years of your life, why not save up your pennies and nickels for the last 20 years of your life at an all-inclusive resort?

Naturally, you wouldn't want to stay at just one resort, but perhaps join a club like "Club Med," but a cheaper version.  You'd be allowed to travel, visit different resorts, but know for a "lifetime membership" you'd have food and shelter covered until you're dead.  I would have to run the figures, but I have so much faith in the leftist idiots that populate and increasingly run the US that the day will come (if it isn't already here) all-inclusive resorts are more affordable than most retirement communities in the US.

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:00 AM

    I always thought more in the terms of college with a rich parent paying the freight. This is probably why so many academics are enamored with the concept.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous9:42 AM

    I think that the all inclusive resort is what socialist and communist envision as regular life. Pay your taxes and everything should be free.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:45 AM

    There are retirees who live on cruise ships for just this reason. It is cheaper than a nursing home, they are fed, it is all handicapped accessible, there is a maid, and even a doctor on board. It travels around, and maybe comes to a port near their grandchildren from time to time. And there are plenty of new people all the time (usually senior citizens) to avoid loneliness.

    I think I would jump over the side if I had to live there for years, but for 80 year old widows, maybe it is just the right thing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous11:03 AM

    "and I would soon return to my (horrible) life of waking up at 1030AM"

    I often wake up at 5 AM and run 20 km back and forth to get a free coffee !!! Then, when I get back home I do 2 hours of weight training.

    And after I've done all this, I feel like I have the energy to fight against an entire division.

    And I find this to be extremely enjoyable !!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:09 AM

    "As it stands right now, the United States and most European nations so heavily tax their citizenry that 2nd world countries can provide an all-inclusive resort for a fraction of the cost of most 1st world nursing homes."

    There will come a day, Aaron Clarey, when the government will no longer need to tax in order to spend as much as it wants, like there is no tomorrow ... every tomorrows with no end in sight.

    You think we live in reality and that if only we would apply your little procedural kitchen recipe for utopian economics taht all would be fine ? Think again.

    Whatcha gonna do when they come for YOU and have endless funds to do so !!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:12 AM

    I'm a big fan of your Smith & Wesson retirement plan. So I don't need to worry about how much taxes we're asked to pay nor how much my retirement will cost me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous1:35 PM

    Hey Aaron,

    I've already seen articles about the monthly costs of living on a cruise line, as a slightly different version of the all-inclusive resort.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:57 PM

    For me, economic UTOPIA is to live alone on my own planet with my own means of production and my own army of robots to do my bidding all day.

    I would produce all by myself (with the help of my means of production and my robots) and for myself all that I need to live and I would keep it for myself since I would be the only human and only flesh and blood creature on my own planet in my own galaxy gazillions cubed away from any other form of life as we know it.

    The universe is so big, each and everyone of us 7 billion human beings could have his own personal galaxy and there would be hundreds of billions of galaxies to spare.

    Why did we need to be stuffed like sardines on a small planet only to mutually poison the existence of each other.

    This doesn't seem like efficient to me. Nature is not efficient, life is not efficient. Why are we required to be efficient ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5:51 PM

    There's another resort just like the one you describe, only it's totally FREE!

    It's called "prison."

    ReplyDelete
  10. DeNihilist6:03 PM

    Know an older couple already doing this. Only on cruise ships. Doc always available, get comped rooms almost every time, see different places, no end to the food, etc., etc., etc.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well the food tends not to be very good at all inclusive resorts for obvious economic reasons. I was at a Club Med recently and my brother and I agreed the food sucked.

    You have to drunk a lot for the drinks to be a good value, which leads to dehydration.

    It is possible to live cheaply a lot of places, including the US as long as you are out of major cities.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Once a year or so, I cross paths with the cruise ship "The World," which is a condo type buy-in for a permanent 1,2 or 3 bedroom condo on board and the all-inclusive lifestyle it entails. They're on a constant circumnavigation, and each owner gets a vote on destinations.

    This sounds better than the .45 retirement plan.

    ReplyDelete
  13. travel trailer. acreage in La. thats my eutopia. sleep late, hunt, fish, shoot shit.

    rinse repeat.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous12:26 AM

    Hey Cap,

    Here's a kickstarter you'll LOVE:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IWtYl_yWs8

    You too can help bankroll 'The Unique Ladies' - the first documentary about (feminist) All-Women Lowrider Car Club.

    Too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shenpen12:49 AM

    I would not enjoy this, because there would be no purpose of my life there.

    In my last ten years I would like to spend my time working on that my descendants inherit a friggin' empire, convince my kids to make a lot of grandkids and generally focus on leaving a powerful dynasty behind that keeps my memory alive.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rex Little11:47 AM

    One problem with that resort: what if your favorite leisure activities are playing games on the Internet, and commenting on blogs? Mine are.

    ReplyDelete