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I'm not following your logic of how airbnb and uber are standard of living equalizers. First, most people employed by the industries being disrupted by these c

I'm not following your logic of how airbnb and uber are standard of living equalizers. First, most people employed by the industries being disrupted by these companies (hotels and taxicab companies) are taxicab drivers, maids, bellhops, front desk. All relatively low-paying jobs already. Paying people at the bottom less keeps prices low. Therefore, people with disposable income can the spend the same amount of money and get more goods and services. It raises the standard of living for the middle-upper class while pushing people in these low paying jobs closer to poverty. This is not a diatribe against these companies or the free market. I just don't agree with you. These companies are actually raising our standard of living. Giving us more money and time to consume things and spend more money.

grecy 11y ago
> I'm not following your logic of how airbnb and uber are standard of living equalizers. Globally, I mean, to bring our standard of living closer to those people who are for example building our iPhones for pennies. The standard of living in the developed world has to come down closer to theirs, and one of the ways we'll do that is through things like uber and airbnb because they are a lot less heavily regulated, and result in less employee income/safety/security etc. I.e. the people who "work" for uber are closer to those in the developing world, than those working for the current taxi scheme in a developed country
- ryanackley 11y ago
  Okay, but did you not see my response? People who work for uber are already at the bottom of the proverbial food chain in America. Your use of the word "our" in "our standard of living" is puzzling since you are most likely middle class. Paying them less will marginally raise your standard of living since you could presumably afford more taxi rides.

grecy 11y ago

> I'm not following your logic of how airbnb and uber are standard of living equalizers. Globally, I mean, to bring our standard of living closer to those people who are for example building our iPhones for pennies. The standard of living in the developed world has to come down closer to theirs, and one of the ways we'll do that is through things like uber and airbnb because they are a lot less heavily regulated, and result in less employee income/safety/security etc. I.e. the people who "work" for uber are closer to those in the developing world, than those working for the current taxi scheme in a developed country

ryanackley 11y ago
Okay, but did you not see my response? People who work for uber are already at the bottom of the proverbial food chain in America. Your use of the word "our" in "our standard of living" is puzzling since you are most likely middle class. Paying them less will marginally raise your standard of living since you could presumably afford more taxi rides.