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And what's the alternative? Should people make a conscious decision to be less educated, less healthy, and less prepared for retirement?
by not_kurt_godel 9y ago
And what's the alternative? Should people make a conscious decision to be less educated, less healthy, and less prepared for retirement?
- Smaug123 9y agoIn response to the statement that "People are defecting on the prisoners' dilemma.", you are saying "What's the alternative? Should people make a conscious decision to get a worse outcome?"
- general_so_chkn 9y agoThere's this very strange and very dangerous notion making the rounds that because some people don't have the means to access something (i.e. a college education) then those that do have the means should abstain out of...what, solidarity? Because it's unfair? Problems of inequality are complex and have many different factors at play. I think it's extremely dangerous to discourage the wealthy from using their wealth in this manner. We need to explore the root causes of problems of inequality and this type of rhetoric does NOTHING but fester resentment.
- pm90 9y agoNotions of solidarity have been around as long as human civilization existed. Thus you see a lot of cultures where the leaders/elite of their society were discouraged from ostentatious displays of their wealth. And you can see this today as well with a lot of very wealthy people choosing to not exercise their wealth (e.g. Warren Buffett still lives in his old home at Omaha).
- guelo 9y agoThe alternative is to tax the rich (gasp!) and provide good education and health care for everybody.
- not_kurt_godel 9y agoHow is that an alternative? Both can and should co-exist. Edit: that is to say, yes, I'm in favor of taxing the rich and universal healthcare. I don't see how enacting those policies would be an alternative to people investing their resources in improving their own lives in ways that are harmless to society at large, if not beneficial.
- dagw 9y agoHow is that an alternative? Both can and should co-exist. Sure, but in countries that have a really good free public university system even the rich want to send their kids there. In fact going to to a private fee-charging university can be seen a sign that you weren't smart enough to get into a good university on your own merits. That being said the rich can and will use their money to increase the chance of their kids getting into those good universities by moving to neighborhoods that increase the chances of their kids getting into good primary schools, so that they can get into good high schools.