4 ms·

Yeah, it was weird reading that argument from Scott, who long ago proposed using dead children as a unit of currency: https://web.archive.org/web/20160318104428

Yeah, it was weird reading that argument from Scott, who long ago proposed using dead children as a unit of currency: https://web.archive.org/web/20160318104428/http://www.raikoth.net/deadchild.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160318104428/http://www.raikot...

RodericDay 9y ago
Scott Alexander is the kind of writer that found his niche reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds. He's now in the same bucket as Steven Pinker, David Brooks, Doctor Pangloss, etc.
- bernardlunn 9y ago
  It is also called taking a glass half full view which is no bad thing. Entrepreneurs are naturally more Tigger than Eeyore.
- adwn 9y ago
  > Scott Alexander is the kind of writer that found his niche reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds. Huh?! You must have him confused with someone else. This assessment of his writing is so completely wrong that I don't even know where to start correcting it.
  - selimthegrim 9y ago
    He's probably talking about the conclusions your average SSC readers ends up drawing - a literate, wordy reinforcement of the status quo and "problems are hard". Whether this is Alexander's intended effect is another story.
    - TeMPOraL 9y ago
      Compared to typical stories everywhere else, with simple and obvious solutions that are totally wrong, I'll take SSC any day. Scott is one of the rare breed of writers who seem to actually think things through.
- cbr 9y ago
  reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/03/15/answer-to-job/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/03/15/answer-to-job/
TeMPOraL 9y ago
I think both are consistent with each other. In this article, Scott is defending a group of people who he believes are a target of unjustly generalized accusations in media. In particular, wrt. the quoted "if SV screws up" argument, we're still talking orders of magnitude less damage to society and economy than the other two examples.

RodericDay 9y ago

Scott Alexander is the kind of writer that found his niche reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds. He's now in the same bucket as Steven Pinker, David Brooks, Doctor Pangloss, etc.

bernardlunn 9y ago
It is also called taking a glass half full view which is no bad thing. Entrepreneurs are naturally more Tigger than Eeyore.
adwn 9y ago
> Scott Alexander is the kind of writer that found his niche reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds. Huh?! You must have him confused with someone else. This assessment of his writing is so completely wrong that I don't even know where to start correcting it.
- selimthegrim 9y ago
  He's probably talking about the conclusions your average SSC readers ends up drawing - a literate, wordy reinforcement of the status quo and "problems are hard". Whether this is Alexander's intended effect is another story.
  - TeMPOraL 9y ago
    Compared to typical stories everywhere else, with simple and obvious solutions that are totally wrong, I'll take SSC any day. Scott is one of the rare breed of writers who seem to actually think things through.
cbr 9y ago
reassuring wealthy liberal people that, yes, they actually are living in the best of all possible worlds http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/03/15/answer-to-job/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/03/15/answer-to-job/

TeMPOraL 9y ago

I think both are consistent with each other. In this article, Scott is defending a group of people who he believes are a target of unjustly generalized accusations in media. In particular, wrt. the quoted "if SV screws up" argument, we're still talking orders of magnitude less damage to society and economy than the other two examples.