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> Not only is the bar for being a competent government not particularly high on the world scale This is such a ridiculous, preposterously self-confident claim.

> Not only is the bar for being a competent government not particularly high on the world scale This is such a ridiculous, preposterously self-confident claim. Claims like this give HN (and engineers in general) a bad reputation. Edit: relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/793/ https://xkcd.com/793/

applfanboysbgon 2mo ago
What about this sentiment is specific to HN or engineers, that non-HN-types would so vigorously disagree with? How many countries in the world would have the average respondent in a survey describe their government as competent?
- whimsicalism 2mo ago
  I don't disagree with the sentiment but I think obviously negativity bias would be a significant cofounder.
stuaxo 2mo ago
It fits into such a stereotype for HN types, TBH it's the kind of thing that keeps visiting this place amusing.
nomel 2mo ago
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mirmor23 2mo ago
> This is such a ridiculous, preposterously self-confident claim. Claims like this give HN (and engineers in general) a bad reputation. all you've done is use some fancy words to discredit OP's claim. what makes you think people who have built all the extremely complex and robust technical infrastructure are unable to comprehend of this amazingly complex government that you seem to be putting on a pedestal, let alone design a better one? how about even a simpler question: why are almost all governments inefficient (except may be few like tax department) and are full of red-carpet paper pushers?
- SepiaSapient 2mo ago
  us-east-1 goes down and half of the "extremely complex and robust technical infrastructure" that Silicon Valley types have built stops working. The average computer toucher with delusions of grandeur would kill themselves if they had to moderate a public assembly or do a public facing job in a municipal office. Of course you believe that's peon work and your superior intellect with unlimited power as leader would build something better, cue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project
- georgeecollins 2mo ago
  >> how about even a simpler question: why are almost all governments inefficient (except may be few like tax department) and are full of red-carpet paper pushers? That you can just assert that as though it is a fact universally known says a lot where your head is at. If the private sector is so efficient, how come US health care is so much more expensive than some public health systems with better outcomes? How come public utilities are sometimes cheaper than private ones? Why do public fire departments exist at all, why not have contractors? Etc. I agree government is often inefficient. The world is just obviously more complicated then you are considering.
- kybernetikos 2mo ago
  > why are almost all governments inefficient Efficiency is not the aim of government, except in constrained ways. Efficiency would generally run contrary to governance, transparency, innovation, responsiveness, general applicability, justice, rule following, considering the long term and not just the short term, recognition of human dignity, security etc. All those things have a cost that takes away from maximum delivery efficiency, but generally societies decide that the cost is worth it.
browningstreet 2mo ago
Oblig... "Contra a bunch of idiots at Hacker News and elsewhere.." https://daringfireball.net/2026/08/follow-up_thoughts_on_watermarking https://daringfireball.net/2026/08/follow-up_thoughts_on_wat...
- frm88 2mo ago
  English Is the Finest Language, and Thus, Perhaps, More Fingerprintable Lastly, here’s an interesting point to ponder. English is the most expressive language in the world. Don’t take my word for it — it’s the only language I speak... There are 7170 living languages in the world today and quoting Borges doesn't improve the statistical relevance of his statement. Why does this person's blog get so much prominence on here?
  - browningstreet 2mo ago
    You misread the literary conceit of that section. Read the last paragraph. He didn't actually mean that assertion, but he's borrowing a lead-in from Borges. Hence, the balance of his self-admonition of speaking only one language against the fingerprint-ability of a language that borrows heavily from others.

applfanboysbgon 2mo ago

What about this sentiment is specific to HN or engineers, that non-HN-types would so vigorously disagree with? How many countries in the world would have the average respondent in a survey describe their government as competent?

whimsicalism 2mo ago
I don't disagree with the sentiment but I think obviously negativity bias would be a significant cofounder.

stuaxo 2mo ago

It fits into such a stereotype for HN types, TBH it's the kind of thing that keeps visiting this place amusing.

nomel 2mo ago

[dead]

mirmor23 2mo ago

> This is such a ridiculous, preposterously self-confident claim. Claims like this give HN (and engineers in general) a bad reputation. all you've done is use some fancy words to discredit OP's claim. what makes you think people who have built all the extremely complex and robust technical infrastructure are unable to comprehend of this amazingly complex government that you seem to be putting on a pedestal, let alone design a better one? how about even a simpler question: why are almost all governments inefficient (except may be few like tax department) and are full of red-carpet paper pushers?

SepiaSapient 2mo ago
us-east-1 goes down and half of the "extremely complex and robust technical infrastructure" that Silicon Valley types have built stops working. The average computer toucher with delusions of grandeur would kill themselves if they had to moderate a public assembly or do a public facing job in a municipal office. Of course you believe that's peon work and your superior intellect with unlimited power as leader would build something better, cue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project
georgeecollins 2mo ago
>> how about even a simpler question: why are almost all governments inefficient (except may be few like tax department) and are full of red-carpet paper pushers? That you can just assert that as though it is a fact universally known says a lot where your head is at. If the private sector is so efficient, how come US health care is so much more expensive than some public health systems with better outcomes? How come public utilities are sometimes cheaper than private ones? Why do public fire departments exist at all, why not have contractors? Etc. I agree government is often inefficient. The world is just obviously more complicated then you are considering.
kybernetikos 2mo ago
> why are almost all governments inefficient Efficiency is not the aim of government, except in constrained ways. Efficiency would generally run contrary to governance, transparency, innovation, responsiveness, general applicability, justice, rule following, considering the long term and not just the short term, recognition of human dignity, security etc. All those things have a cost that takes away from maximum delivery efficiency, but generally societies decide that the cost is worth it.

browningstreet 2mo ago

Oblig... "Contra a bunch of idiots at Hacker News and elsewhere.." https://daringfireball.net/2026/08/follow-up_thoughts_on_watermarking https://daringfireball.net/2026/08/follow-up_thoughts_on_wat...

frm88 2mo ago
English Is the Finest Language, and Thus, Perhaps, More Fingerprintable Lastly, here’s an interesting point to ponder. English is the most expressive language in the world. Don’t take my word for it — it’s the only language I speak... There are 7170 living languages in the world today and quoting Borges doesn't improve the statistical relevance of his statement. Why does this person's blog get so much prominence on here?
- browningstreet 2mo ago
  You misread the literary conceit of that section. Read the last paragraph. He didn't actually mean that assertion, but he's borrowing a lead-in from Borges. Hence, the balance of his self-admonition of speaking only one language against the fingerprint-ability of a language that borrows heavily from others.