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I wish we could make decisions collectively, on how to spend resources. Rather than hoping our Lords have the wish and temperament to choose the best thing. x)

blhack 5y ago
We do make these decisions collectively. Either directly via capitalism, or indirectly via democracy.
- chrismsimpson 5y ago
  Ah yes, America. Land of the ‘stolen’ gerrymandered election.
- rcMgD2BwE72F 5y ago
  Via capitalism, Jeff Bezos and I decide the future of e-commerce. "We" make decisions when I buy socks and Bezos chooses how best to sell them to me. "We" are good. Also, Kim Jong-un and his people make decisions collectively: Kim suggests something and when his people agree (or just don't die), decisions materialize! These decisions are collective because nothing would happen if Kim acts alone. Wait. Maybe "collective" does not mean "multiple people working together" but cooperating towards common and mutual benefits. Those who cannot afford not to work for those who owns the capital don't make a "collective" with those who own them and decide how things must be (e.g how much Amazon can pay less tax than individuals and small businesses). Also, democracy is more than a word: when you have no choice but to vote for candidates who support billionaires, there's no "collective" behind the election either.
nickik 5y ago
That is what is happening, but if you do that then decisions are gone take many, many years and you end up with the lowest common denominator. And those 'lords' whatever that means got that rich because they invested their personal time and resources into things that ended up working out and that's why they have the resources they have.
- andrepd 5y ago
  Not quite, but I think there no use in repeating 200 years of criticism of capitalism here, suffices to say "they got rich cause they worked hard" is a very shallow take. EDIT: To be clear: markets≠capitalism
  - nickik 5y ago
    Capitalism is private property and trade. Markets without ownership are mostly meaningless. All models of market socialism are mostly theoretical. Even the inventor market socialism didn't get far in implementing it. Yes there are some markets that can exist outside of that but not a central organizing principle of an economy. > "they got rich cause they worked hard" is a very shallow take The worked hard on the right idea. Its not a 'take' its a fact'. I didn't say 'anybody that works hard will be rich'. That would be a shallow take.
prepend 5y ago
Yes, that would be nice. I think these tunnels were made because we suck at making decisions collectively. There’s nothing stopping Vegas (or other cities) from doing something even smarter. Nothing except people and enough competent companies who can implement. At least Boring Company is helping with the latter and providing more options.

blhack 5y ago

We do make these decisions collectively. Either directly via capitalism, or indirectly via democracy.

chrismsimpson 5y ago
Ah yes, America. Land of the ‘stolen’ gerrymandered election.
rcMgD2BwE72F 5y ago
Via capitalism, Jeff Bezos and I decide the future of e-commerce. "We" make decisions when I buy socks and Bezos chooses how best to sell them to me. "We" are good. Also, Kim Jong-un and his people make decisions collectively: Kim suggests something and when his people agree (or just don't die), decisions materialize! These decisions are collective because nothing would happen if Kim acts alone. Wait. Maybe "collective" does not mean "multiple people working together" but cooperating towards common and mutual benefits. Those who cannot afford not to work for those who owns the capital don't make a "collective" with those who own them and decide how things must be (e.g how much Amazon can pay less tax than individuals and small businesses). Also, democracy is more than a word: when you have no choice but to vote for candidates who support billionaires, there's no "collective" behind the election either.

nickik 5y ago

That is what is happening, but if you do that then decisions are gone take many, many years and you end up with the lowest common denominator. And those 'lords' whatever that means got that rich because they invested their personal time and resources into things that ended up working out and that's why they have the resources they have.

andrepd 5y ago
Not quite, but I think there no use in repeating 200 years of criticism of capitalism here, suffices to say "they got rich cause they worked hard" is a very shallow take. EDIT: To be clear: markets≠capitalism
- nickik 5y ago
  Capitalism is private property and trade. Markets without ownership are mostly meaningless. All models of market socialism are mostly theoretical. Even the inventor market socialism didn't get far in implementing it. Yes there are some markets that can exist outside of that but not a central organizing principle of an economy. > "they got rich cause they worked hard" is a very shallow take The worked hard on the right idea. Its not a 'take' its a fact'. I didn't say 'anybody that works hard will be rich'. That would be a shallow take.

prepend 5y ago

Yes, that would be nice. I think these tunnels were made because we suck at making decisions collectively. There’s nothing stopping Vegas (or other cities) from doing something even smarter. Nothing except people and enough competent companies who can implement. At least Boring Company is helping with the latter and providing more options.