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Would you say that construction is way more productive today in USA than 40 years ago? It seems like stuff are more expensive and less productive at the same ti

Would you say that construction is way more productive today in USA than 40 years ago? It seems like stuff are more expensive and less productive at the same time today.

WalterBright 2y ago
If you've ever tried to build a house in the US, you'll find out where the money goes. I have, and there's good reason why I am not in the construction business. Oh, and check this out: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/developer-martin-selig-defaults-on-240m-debt-as-seattle-office-woes-mount/ https://www.seattletimes.com/business/developer-martin-selig... That's gotta hurt!
- Jensson 2y ago
  So you agree USA has problems? That is the point, the source of that inequality doesn't matter the inequality is still hurting you. There are seemingly less such problems in Europe.
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    Of course the USA has problems. I've pointed out several. But inequality is not a problem. People wanting to make it big come to the USA. That's why the USA has the biggest, most successful, companies that drive the US gdp forward. Inequality is only a problem for people who are envious.
    - Jensson 2y ago
      Healthcare using regulations to block competition and line their pockets is a big source to that inequality, being forced to pay into that isn't envy. But I get your point, inequality isn't a problem in itself, but seeing your money go to rich people for no good reason does feel very bad even if the problem is the corruption and not the inequality.
      - WalterBright 2y ago
        Healthcare problems are nearly all caused by heavy government involvement in every facet of it. > seeing your money go to rich people for no good reason Anyone can buy stocks and get their share. For example, NVDA. If you'd bought some, you'd have made quite a lot of bank, and made your friends unhappy with you because of the money you unfairly made for no good reason. I know many ordinary schlubs who became multimillionaires by simply buying NVDA, MSFT, AMZN, AAPL, etc.
    - piva00 2y ago
      > Inequality is only a problem for people who are envious. Or when you have to pass by homeless tent cities in your downtown. Or when you are the victim of crime because the kid pulling a gun on you is envious because their family is poor and you're rich. Extreme inequality brings social strife in multiple layers, if you're individualistic you might not care for it but for a society it fosters resentment and erosion of social cohesion. But I don't think you care about that in general.
      - WalterBright 2y ago
        > Extreme inequality brings social strife in multiple layers This is the conventional wisdom, but I can't think of a revolt in a free market country. > But I don't think you care about that in general. My reading of history is that free markets bring the greatest prosperity to the greatest number of people. No other economic system comes close. Cutting other people down to size because you're envious just makes things worse. It produces economic stagnation, and the demand for "equity" is endless and endlessly makes things worse. It doesn't end well. Be careful what you wish for. Keep in mind that the most prosperous companies are in America and bring that prosperity to Americans and are the envy of the world.
        no_exit 2y ago
        > I can't think of a revolt in a free market country. Lmao
    - rqtwteye 2y ago
      Inequality is big problem. If you have a certain percentage of people with way more money than others, they skew markets to cater to them. You see this in real estate where new builds are mostly towards the higher end. You see this with cars where manufacturers are cutting the lower end models. You see it in health care where the only available options are the expensive ones. This works well for companies because they can get higher margins. This works well for the people with money but other people are being left out. And with increasing inequality the number of people left out goes up. Basically we are creating a world designed for the top x percent of people. And they are creating laws that favor themselves.
      - WalterBright 2y ago
        You cannot make it big in the auto business by targeting the 1%. Ferrari has never been a big company, and often teetered on bankruptcy. The big money is targeting where the customers are - the middle class. That's why VW got so big. Why Ford and GM and Chrysler made so much money. Selling cars to the middle class. Tesla has also moved down market for the same reason. How's Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Jaguar doing? Case closed.

Would you say that construction is way more productive today in USA than 40 years ago? It seems like stuff are more expensive and less productive at the same time today.

WalterBright 2y ago

If you've ever tried to build a house in the US, you'll find out where the money goes. I have, and there's good reason why I am not in the construction business. Oh, and check this out: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/developer-martin-selig-defaults-on-240m-debt-as-seattle-office-woes-mount/ https://www.seattletimes.com/business/developer-martin-selig... That's gotta hurt!

Jensson 2y ago
So you agree USA has problems? That is the point, the source of that inequality doesn't matter the inequality is still hurting you. There are seemingly less such problems in Europe.
- WalterBright 2y ago
  Of course the USA has problems. I've pointed out several. But inequality is not a problem. People wanting to make it big come to the USA. That's why the USA has the biggest, most successful, companies that drive the US gdp forward. Inequality is only a problem for people who are envious.
  - Jensson 2y ago
    Healthcare using regulations to block competition and line their pockets is a big source to that inequality, being forced to pay into that isn't envy. But I get your point, inequality isn't a problem in itself, but seeing your money go to rich people for no good reason does feel very bad even if the problem is the corruption and not the inequality.
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      Healthcare problems are nearly all caused by heavy government involvement in every facet of it. > seeing your money go to rich people for no good reason Anyone can buy stocks and get their share. For example, NVDA. If you'd bought some, you'd have made quite a lot of bank, and made your friends unhappy with you because of the money you unfairly made for no good reason. I know many ordinary schlubs who became multimillionaires by simply buying NVDA, MSFT, AMZN, AAPL, etc.
  - piva00 2y ago
    > Inequality is only a problem for people who are envious. Or when you have to pass by homeless tent cities in your downtown. Or when you are the victim of crime because the kid pulling a gun on you is envious because their family is poor and you're rich. Extreme inequality brings social strife in multiple layers, if you're individualistic you might not care for it but for a society it fosters resentment and erosion of social cohesion. But I don't think you care about that in general.
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      > Extreme inequality brings social strife in multiple layers This is the conventional wisdom, but I can't think of a revolt in a free market country. > But I don't think you care about that in general. My reading of history is that free markets bring the greatest prosperity to the greatest number of people. No other economic system comes close. Cutting other people down to size because you're envious just makes things worse. It produces economic stagnation, and the demand for "equity" is endless and endlessly makes things worse. It doesn't end well. Be careful what you wish for. Keep in mind that the most prosperous companies are in America and bring that prosperity to Americans and are the envy of the world.
      - no_exit 2y ago
        > I can't think of a revolt in a free market country. Lmao
  - rqtwteye 2y ago
    Inequality is big problem. If you have a certain percentage of people with way more money than others, they skew markets to cater to them. You see this in real estate where new builds are mostly towards the higher end. You see this with cars where manufacturers are cutting the lower end models. You see it in health care where the only available options are the expensive ones. This works well for companies because they can get higher margins. This works well for the people with money but other people are being left out. And with increasing inequality the number of people left out goes up. Basically we are creating a world designed for the top x percent of people. And they are creating laws that favor themselves.
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      You cannot make it big in the auto business by targeting the 1%. Ferrari has never been a big company, and often teetered on bankruptcy. The big money is targeting where the customers are - the middle class. That's why VW got so big. Why Ford and GM and Chrysler made so much money. Selling cars to the middle class. Tesla has also moved down market for the same reason. How's Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Jaguar doing? Case closed.