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Enormous, but diffuse. Governments, and especially democracies, and especially especially the United States have consistently failed miserably at tackling probl
by Analemma_ 8y ago
Enormous, but diffuse. Governments, and especially democracies, and especially especially the United States have consistently failed miserably at tackling problems with diffuse benefits bit highly visible costs, even when the costs are much lower.
- wwweston 8y agoThe theory is too narrow here -- not only does this apply to governments, it applies to businesses. Or technical debt and sufficiently large software projects. Or individuals and lifestyle choices. Our reward structures aren't always lined up with optimal responses to current conditions.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- wool_gather 8y agoGood point. And people with similar mindsets/POVs tend to be at the top of such large organizations. I think there's just a certain way of being in the world that makes some people inclined to a) want to be in charge, and b) downplay these kinds of diffuse, semi-intangibly-expensive problems. We need better ways of explaining problems to them.