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If you think about it, all social problems stem from a single word: superiority. So, why can't America solve the hunger problem? Because there are some who wa

by tabeth 9y ago

If you think about it, all social problems stem from a single word: superiority. So, why can't America solve the hunger problem? Because there are some who want to be superior to others. The end. The main value of being a "have" is not being a "have not". So if you give things to the "have nots", then you've undermined the "haves" (the distance between them has decreased)

civilian 9y ago
?? This is a really weird and judgemental angle to take.
- minikites 9y ago
  It's true, many republicans run on spite: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html >But the Obama administration’s plan to expand coverage relies in part on savings from Medicare. And since the G.O.P. opposes anything that might be good for Mr. Obama, it has become the passionate defender of ineffective medical procedures and overpayments to insurance companies. It's also worth noting that Obamacare was originally a republican idea but since it was associated with Obama, they hate it.
  - civilian 9y ago
    You're not wrong. But lol, the spite runs both ways, and Krugman is a notable source of it.
  - jerf 9y ago
    Taking your view on Republican's inner psychology from Krugman is about as reliable as asking Sean Hannity what animates Democrats. That hardly even rises to the level of "unfounded accusation".
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > It's also worth noting that Obamacare was originally a republican idea No, the “mandate and subsidy” thing was originally an insurance industry idea, floated arond the time of Bill Clinton's healthcare reform efforts as what they would rather see. Republican politicians later picked it up, but it didn't come from them. (And by the time the ACA was being floated, those Republicans who still supported a mandate plus subsidy approach wanted it limited to HDHP + HSA plans, which had become a major Republican idea during the Bush Administration, where mandatory at-risk personal investment accounts—not only HSAs, but also, for example, similar accounts as a replacement for all or part of Social Security—were a recurring theme in Republican policy proposals.)
- grasshopperpurp 9y ago
  I don't think so. Why do you?
  - civilian 9y ago
    It's assuming so much about people's motives. I work to get money, yeah, but I mostly work just so that I can be comfortable and get cool stuff, not so that I can one-up other people. And if you take tabeth's argument to it's conclusion--- anyone who makes money is just trying to be a greedy sociopath and wants to push down their fellow man. Which is think is trivially false.
    - tabeth 9y ago
      That's a strange conclusion to make from my pretty innocent comment. Projection? Besides, pushing down someone and failing to aid them are not the same thing. I'm surprised there's even disagreement here. Our entire society is based on an implicit caste system. We've involved from animals who use social rankings, etc.
      - civilian 9y ago
        It's not a strange conclusion at all! You're saying that all social problems stem from a desire for superiority, and you're including income inequality as a problem, so anyone who makes more than average is greedy, and you're saying that humans are essentially always guilty of coveting. And to quote your HN profile-- "if you're going to claim something, please cite!" I've gotta turn that around and apply it to your "all social problems stem from a single word: superiority." claim.
        tabeth 9y ago
        1. When I did mention "income inequality"? 2. Your assertion "anyone who makes more than average is greedy" is your own opinion and claim. 3. "saying that humans are essentially always guilty of coveting" is also your own claim, and one that I did not make. In summary, it seems you're projecting some things you believe onto me. Your last portion is well taken, though. Unfortunately for such a grand claim like the one I made, there (practically) can't be a study that irrefutably proves it. However, most of the modern social issues are inherently ones of superiority, including: - Racism - Sexism - Agism Arguably any act that harms anyone else is an act of "superiority." For you must believe your ideology or yourself to be superior in order to invoke it. When there are options there will be comparison, and when there's comparison there must be superiority as there's judgment. To judge is only human.
red75prime 9y ago
Socialism wasn't very economically successful. But, well, we had our (imported) bread aplenty and butter was rationed equally.
- cies 9y ago
  Well, by some markers they were quite successful. When comparing socialist countries with capitalist counterparts of the same GDP/capita then the socialist countries were doing remarkably well. Sure we are not thought this in the west. Remember "history is written by the victors"?
- tabeth 9y ago
  I fail to see what socialism has to do with my comment. I am not even making a value judgment on whether or not superiority is bad, it's just an empirical fact.
cies 9y ago
> superiority I'd say it is "oppression".
- tabeth 9y ago
  Why does one oppress? Oppression is a symptom, not the cause.

by tabeth 9y ago

civilian 9y ago

?? This is a really weird and judgemental angle to take.

minikites 9y ago
It's true, many republicans run on spite: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html >But the Obama administration’s plan to expand coverage relies in part on savings from Medicare. And since the G.O.P. opposes anything that might be good for Mr. Obama, it has become the passionate defender of ineffective medical procedures and overpayments to insurance companies. It's also worth noting that Obamacare was originally a republican idea but since it was associated with Obama, they hate it.
- civilian 9y ago
  You're not wrong. But lol, the spite runs both ways, and Krugman is a notable source of it.
- jerf 9y ago
  Taking your view on Republican's inner psychology from Krugman is about as reliable as asking Sean Hannity what animates Democrats. That hardly even rises to the level of "unfounded accusation".
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > It's also worth noting that Obamacare was originally a republican idea No, the “mandate and subsidy” thing was originally an insurance industry idea, floated arond the time of Bill Clinton's healthcare reform efforts as what they would rather see. Republican politicians later picked it up, but it didn't come from them. (And by the time the ACA was being floated, those Republicans who still supported a mandate plus subsidy approach wanted it limited to HDHP + HSA plans, which had become a major Republican idea during the Bush Administration, where mandatory at-risk personal investment accounts—not only HSAs, but also, for example, similar accounts as a replacement for all or part of Social Security—were a recurring theme in Republican policy proposals.)
grasshopperpurp 9y ago
I don't think so. Why do you?
- civilian 9y ago
  It's assuming so much about people's motives. I work to get money, yeah, but I mostly work just so that I can be comfortable and get cool stuff, not so that I can one-up other people. And if you take tabeth's argument to it's conclusion--- anyone who makes money is just trying to be a greedy sociopath and wants to push down their fellow man. Which is think is trivially false.
  - tabeth 9y ago
    That's a strange conclusion to make from my pretty innocent comment. Projection? Besides, pushing down someone and failing to aid them are not the same thing. I'm surprised there's even disagreement here. Our entire society is based on an implicit caste system. We've involved from animals who use social rankings, etc.
    - civilian 9y ago
      It's not a strange conclusion at all! You're saying that all social problems stem from a desire for superiority, and you're including income inequality as a problem, so anyone who makes more than average is greedy, and you're saying that humans are essentially always guilty of coveting. And to quote your HN profile-- "if you're going to claim something, please cite!" I've gotta turn that around and apply it to your "all social problems stem from a single word: superiority." claim.
      - tabeth 9y ago
        1. When I did mention "income inequality"? 2. Your assertion "anyone who makes more than average is greedy" is your own opinion and claim. 3. "saying that humans are essentially always guilty of coveting" is also your own claim, and one that I did not make. In summary, it seems you're projecting some things you believe onto me. Your last portion is well taken, though. Unfortunately for such a grand claim like the one I made, there (practically) can't be a study that irrefutably proves it. However, most of the modern social issues are inherently ones of superiority, including: - Racism - Sexism - Agism Arguably any act that harms anyone else is an act of "superiority." For you must believe your ideology or yourself to be superior in order to invoke it. When there are options there will be comparison, and when there's comparison there must be superiority as there's judgment. To judge is only human.

red75prime 9y ago

Socialism wasn't very economically successful. But, well, we had our (imported) bread aplenty and butter was rationed equally.

cies 9y ago
Well, by some markers they were quite successful. When comparing socialist countries with capitalist counterparts of the same GDP/capita then the socialist countries were doing remarkably well. Sure we are not thought this in the west. Remember "history is written by the victors"?
tabeth 9y ago
I fail to see what socialism has to do with my comment. I am not even making a value judgment on whether or not superiority is bad, it's just an empirical fact.

cies 9y ago

> superiority I'd say it is "oppression".

tabeth 9y ago
Why does one oppress? Oppression is a symptom, not the cause.