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I think one (of many) factors propelling this trend is income inequality. Imagine you're in the grocery store checkout line with luxury foods and how uncomforta

I think one (of many) factors propelling this trend is income inequality. Imagine you're in the grocery store checkout line with luxury foods and how uncomfortable it might be to make conversation with the clerk who may be working three jobs and trying to parent two children. So we invented apps. Now we don't have to look up to hail a cab, we can look down at our phone. We don't even THINK about riding the bus (https://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/12/14/surprise-elon-musk-is-revolted-by-transit/ https://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/12/14/surprise-elon-musk-is...). We don't have to go into the store, we can have an Instacart employee leave them at our house without a trace that someone existed at all. We're stratifying into the Eloi and the Morlocks, but separated by the glass screen of a phone instead of layers of earth.

jrexilius 6y ago
Income inequality isn't quite the spring-of-all-evils that it's being touted as. Although I think you are touching on some pressures and problems. Yes, it can be one of the factors in "othering" and can discourage commitment to a shared, common system, but I've been in lots of countries with low "inequality" that were far less trusting. True, it's apples/oranges comparison, but I'm not convinced that inequality is the source of our woes, but very likely amplifies it.
- iguy 6y ago
  There's also room for causality the other way, here. If feel you have a lot in common with your compatriots, and generally trust them, then you are (I claim) more likely to support paying taxes to support those who are having a rough time. High trust can lead to lower inequality. Conversely, if you already feel you have nothing in common with others, then why not vote (if you have everything) to give them nothing, or (if you have nothing) why not vote to seize their property and distribute it?
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  > True, it's apples/oranges comparison, but I'm not convinced that inequality is the source of our woes, but very likely amplifies it. It’s not income inequality, it’s opportunity inequality. Which manifests itself as income (/wealth) inequality, so that’s the proxy most people use. Once you lose the feeling of others being in your tribe and that they might also be interested in looking out for you, it’s very, very difficult to regain that. Even worse is once members of the tribe start assuming others are part of an enemy tribe.

jrexilius 6y ago

Income inequality isn't quite the spring-of-all-evils that it's being touted as. Although I think you are touching on some pressures and problems. Yes, it can be one of the factors in "othering" and can discourage commitment to a shared, common system, but I've been in lots of countries with low "inequality" that were far less trusting. True, it's apples/oranges comparison, but I'm not convinced that inequality is the source of our woes, but very likely amplifies it.

iguy 6y ago
There's also room for causality the other way, here. If feel you have a lot in common with your compatriots, and generally trust them, then you are (I claim) more likely to support paying taxes to support those who are having a rough time. High trust can lead to lower inequality. Conversely, if you already feel you have nothing in common with others, then why not vote (if you have everything) to give them nothing, or (if you have nothing) why not vote to seize their property and distribute it?
lotsofpulp 6y ago
> True, it's apples/oranges comparison, but I'm not convinced that inequality is the source of our woes, but very likely amplifies it. It’s not income inequality, it’s opportunity inequality. Which manifests itself as income (/wealth) inequality, so that’s the proxy most people use. Once you lose the feeling of others being in your tribe and that they might also be interested in looking out for you, it’s very, very difficult to regain that. Even worse is once members of the tribe start assuming others are part of an enemy tribe.