4 ms·
I feel that "post scarcity" requires some definition. In the west very few people go hungry and the vast majority of people have a mobile phone - something that
by collyw 6y ago
I feel that "post scarcity" requires some definition. In the west very few people go hungry and the vast majority of people have a mobile phone - something that was an expensive status item just a couple of decades ago. It feels like if we made everything "post scarcity" by today's standard, we would have a load more things that people would be striving to acquire. On the other hand maybe post scarcity is what some buddhist monks who give up everything are closer to achieving than anyone in the west.
- leetcrew 6y agoit seems possible that food, water, shelter, and even healthcare could be provided to everyone in the near future, but positional goods will always exist. it will never be possible for everyone to live in a manhattan penthouse, be treated by the best doctors, etc., and people will still compete for access to these things.
- collyw 6y agoIn Europe, particularly in the richer countries such as Scandanavia those are generally not a problem. A few years ago a friend from Denmark said that the whole country had 16 homeless people. Obviously there are people who have problems but I think those run deeper than just not being able to afford the basics.
- jpttsn 6y agoAdditionally, as food, water, shelter become readily available, people raise the bar even on those goods. The social safety net here in Sweden won't let me starve. But to impress my friends, I have to buy much more than calories. The food I serve must be climate compensated, organic, small batch, good for animals and people. Buying food becomes an exercise in personal branding.