Comment by FloorEgg

Comment by FloorEgg 3 days ago

1 reply

The first half of your comment doesn't quite click for me.

I appreciate the elaboration in the second half. That sounds a lot more constructive than "attack", but now I understand you meant it in the "attack the problem" sense not "attack the people" sense.

What I think we agree on is that society has resource redistribution problem, and it could work a lot better.

I think we might also agree that a well functioning economic engine should lift up the floor for everyone and not concentrate economic power into those who best weild leverage.

One way I think of this is, what is the actual optimal lorenz curve that allows for lifting the floor, such that the area under the curve increases at the fastest rate possible. (It must account for the reality of human psychology and resource scarcity)

Where we might disagree is that I think we also have some culture and education system problems as well, which relate to how each individual takes responsibility for figuring out how to ethically create value for others. When able bodied and minded people chose to spend their time playing zero and negative sum games instead of positive sum games we all lose.

E.g. If mcdonald automates their restaurants, those workers also need to take some responsibility for finding new ways to provide value to others. A well functioning system would make that as painless as possible for them, so much so that the majority experiencing it would consider it a good thing.

jrowen 2 days ago

> The first half of your comment doesn't quite click for me.

Anything specific?

> When able bodied and minded people chose to spend their time playing zero and negative sum games instead of positive sum games we all lose.

What types of behaviors are you referring to as zero and negative sum games?

I think at the very least we should move toward a state where the existence of dare-I-say freeloaders and welfare queens isn't too taxing, and with general social progress that "niche" may be naturally disincentivized and phased out. Some people just don't really have a purpose or a drive but they were born here and yes one would hope that under the right conditions they could blossom but if not I don't think it's worth worrying about too much.

I would say that education is essentially at the core of everything, it's the only mechanism we have to move the needle on any of it.