Mike Politis – MTWX contributor
When you run a farm, being a Jack (or Jill) of all trades isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. You learn to fix your own tractor, help a cow deliver a calf, patch a fence, and keep the generator humming through deep freezes.
That’s life in the country.
In the city? Specialization rules. If you’re not hyper-focused and hyper-narrow in your job, you’re replaceable. Especially in the world of vertically integrated corporations that now touch every part of rural life too.
A few days ago, my credit card got frozen due to suspected fraud. It took three hours, seven supervisors, and one brilliant basement-dwelling computer guy from my town to get it fixed. That card pays for farm supplies, animal meds, and human essentials. And yet, the system wasn’t built to solve problems—just to route them.
It reminded me of the growing divide in veterinary medicine. Over half the clinics in North America are owned by just three mega-corporations. General practitioners get pushed to refer even the simplest cases to distant, high-priced specialists. Those same specialists now rely on AI to read blood work, X-rays, and physical exams—tasks any vet student used to handle.
I once asked a highly credentialed animal surgeon about managing a dog with diabetes. He said he wasn’t comfortable doing it. That’s a basic skill. But not in the age of AI, policy manuals, and departmental handoffs.
What’s the takeaway?
Small business owners and rural workers have always been generalists. They fix, adapt, and keep going. They make it work.
In contrast, big corporations pass the buck. “Not my job” has become their default response.
Maybe it’s time we stop idolizing the specialist and start valuing the builder, the problem-solver, the generalist.
Because it’s the Jack (or Jill) of all trades who keeps the wheels turning when the system freezes up.
Call to Action:
Support generalists. Defend small business. Fight back against corporate overreach. Join us at MTWX.ca and be part of the community that still knows how to fix things—and isn’t afraid to try.
Tags: Generalists, Small Business, Corporate Control, AI in Medicine, Veterinary Practice, System Failure, Rural Life, MTWX
Category: Moral Sloppiness