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If fusion powers the grid in my lifetime I shall, with relish (literally, or at least a chutney or other pickle) eat my hat. And I’ll enjoy it. Especially as I

If fusion powers the grid in my lifetime I shall, with relish (literally, or at least a chutney or other pickle) eat my hat. And I’ll enjoy it. Especially as I watch both capitalism and the world order implode right alongside.

thfuran 3y ago
Watching the world order implode is almost certain not to be an enjoyable experience if you have to live there.
- yawpitch 3y ago
  Didn’t imply I’d get to enjoy it for very long.
coffeebeqn 3y ago
Cheap unlimited power will topple capitalism? Through what mechanism exactly
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- mrcartmeneses 3y ago
  Plenty
- yawpitch 3y ago
  Capitalism is underpinned by precisely two things; the scarcity of time and the scarcity of energy… give the world essentially unlimited energy and you free almost every worker from the pursuit of energy, and now there’s a massive supply of underutilized time. Follow the capitalist impulse to keep the unlimited energy under the control of a cartel and the capitalist(s) discovers right quick what a massive number of people with underutilized time can do with their artificially limited supply of energy (and rough implements) to anyone whose corruption by the profit motive has led them to religiously hate but never really understand Marx. I wouldn’t want to be a sudden trillionaire (or their armed security) in the face of billions of the suddenly unemployed. Combine them with the immediate and total collapse of all the world’s petrostates who suddenly have a horde of what is no longer energy but just lubricant and plastic precursor and there goes your world order.
  - thfuran 3y ago
    >give the world essentially unlimited energy and you free almost every worker from the pursuit of energy Only a small portion of the workforce is currently engaged in the pursuit of energy, so that wouldn't amount to much.
- Already__Taken 3y ago
  or a slight twist, if fusion doesn't bring free energy due to capitalism harvesting a profit maybe THAT is the instigator of its downfall

thfuran 3y ago

Watching the world order implode is almost certain not to be an enjoyable experience if you have to live there.

yawpitch 3y ago
Didn’t imply I’d get to enjoy it for very long.

coffeebeqn 3y ago

Cheap unlimited power will topple capitalism? Through what mechanism exactly

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
mrcartmeneses 3y ago
Plenty
yawpitch 3y ago
Capitalism is underpinned by precisely two things; the scarcity of time and the scarcity of energy… give the world essentially unlimited energy and you free almost every worker from the pursuit of energy, and now there’s a massive supply of underutilized time. Follow the capitalist impulse to keep the unlimited energy under the control of a cartel and the capitalist(s) discovers right quick what a massive number of people with underutilized time can do with their artificially limited supply of energy (and rough implements) to anyone whose corruption by the profit motive has led them to religiously hate but never really understand Marx. I wouldn’t want to be a sudden trillionaire (or their armed security) in the face of billions of the suddenly unemployed. Combine them with the immediate and total collapse of all the world’s petrostates who suddenly have a horde of what is no longer energy but just lubricant and plastic precursor and there goes your world order.
- thfuran 3y ago
  >give the world essentially unlimited energy and you free almost every worker from the pursuit of energy Only a small portion of the workforce is currently engaged in the pursuit of energy, so that wouldn't amount to much.
Already__Taken 3y ago
or a slight twist, if fusion doesn't bring free energy due to capitalism harvesting a profit maybe THAT is the instigator of its downfall