I was having some rather heady ideas about the economy the other day, about how to fix it, and how alternatives don't do that. The best way, it seems to me, to bring the notion into the 21st century is to finally acknowledge that we're in the 21st century and alter the template as such. Instead, we've been dwelling on the same one that's only sorta been working for the past few thousand years, which has centered on scarcity, and how best to handle it. We've gotten a better idea of how to make interpopulation mechanics work, and as such, why not drag the notion of scarcity-based economics into a schema that uses this as an advantage rather than as a continuing albatross? The way it currently works employs the trickle-down theory, which postulates that to move goods you start from the top and distribute accordingly, with a few at the top controlling where things go and how. This is also known as privilege or business, and how that's supposed to work is that the person with the mind for it has the opportunity to use it, and we've even gotten to the point where you're supposed to be able to get there as much through inheritence as persistence. Those with neither, it would seem, constitute the overwhelming majority that watches as a few have plenty while others scrape by. This is the result of a competition-based mindset, where "only the strongest survive." It seems to be in our nature to want that as much as anything else, but it is also in our nature to improve ourselves, adn we have made strides in that direction, while the economy hasn't, really. While we embrace the rigors of law, which distributes basic civility, the matter of sustaining life itself is left in the old hands, which continue the stringiness of the old practices concerning how goods move around.
Just a few deep thoughts (or not) to help with my credibility. To sabotage that, I return to matters of professional wrestling. The draft lottery began last night on Raw, and as it turned out, the most unexpected as moves played out. Smackdown's WWE champion, John Cena, switched brands!
On the one hand, the cynic will say that this is a ploy, and that Cena will soon enough return to his native brand. On the other, we see Vince McMahon in all of his potential genius. Cena is a character who needs a little more than a taped show can provide. He needs freedom. The live broadcasts of Raw can give him that, and the new challenges on its roster can help him explode. If Vinnie Mac wanted to shake things up, he's already done that, beyond a doubt. This is the singlest greatest move yet in this new era, akin to the debut of the NWO in WCW a decade ago.
That being said, Cena's debut could have gone smoother. Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel was in theory a wonderful way to introduce the first draftee, but in reality Y2J and the Doctor did not have a lot of chemistry (it reminded me of WrestleMania 21's Piper's Pit, though this one was better overall), and it didn't help that John was sporting an awkward arrangement of jersey and t-shirt that made him look a bit foolish. Christian's subsequent appearance led to the return of Cena's rapping (which I never really missed, but he did it better last night than he used to when the gimmick first began), and the segment picked up, but no one seemed to be really enjoying themselves, and that's a crucial element. Maybe next week will work more smoothly. I have all the faith John will work out just fine, once he finds a new rhythm for a new show.
In a way, and now it seems almost obligatory, Batista looks like he will go to Smackdown, where I very much hope Randy Orton, upon his recovery, will follow. Those who were calling Dave and Brock Lesnar interchangeable a few years back will certainly have something to chew on. I was expecting Undertaker to be Eric Bischoff's big coup, and somehow I still expect him to be drafted, along with maybe Kurt Angle and maybe even Oz, Orlando Jordan, to continue the tradition from previous drafts of splitting up alliances. To complete the set, Charlie Haas or Michelle McCool, a recent diva many would like to see given the opportunity to actually compete, an impossibility of Smackdown. The further Thursday (soon to be Friday) acquisitions might be Snitsky (second coming of A-Train, in some ways), Eugene, and Mohammed Hassan and/or Daivari. Wild guesses, all.
On another note, Christy Hemme is getting the further chance to dance in the ring (no, not in the entrance meaning), despite the poor reaction she received the first time around. Yay for me! And yay for Victoria, who gets to do something again.
