Thanks, melo. Particularly for the compliment on the writing. I thought it was far from my best- it's the John Crowley quote that probably will touch some hearts.

As for the business, it's not so much mine, as ours.
Ivonne teaches languages, with an amazing talent for discovering the students' needs, and the empty places in their knowledge.
She's the talent, I'm the mechanic.

Still, my point (and my question) was: If we are being managed into a new and far less stuff-oriented "normal", then the apparent intention of the oligarchs to kill the consumer society that feeds them by sucking the last drop of blood would finally make sense.

"Get it all now, before they tumble to the truth. Their goose is cooked anyhow."

I don't yet believe that- I have yet hope.
But I damned well have a "Plan B", too.

Capitalism searches out the darkest corners of human potential, and mainlines them.