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One simple reason for not building gold watches is that we have much cheaper materials that are also superior in every way - except sex appeal. A treatment for
by hedgew 11y ago
One simple reason for not building gold watches is that we have much cheaper materials that are also superior in every way - except sex appeal.
A treatment for schistosomiasis (a common tropical parasitic worm) costs $0.50 per year. So for each gold watch, which costs something like $10000 extra, you could have gotten 20,000 years of parasite-free life for humans.
But rather than make this some annoying moralistic lecture, just ask the question: which is more awesome?
Spending ten grand on a gold watch?
Giving people 20,000 years of medical treatment?
- madeofpalk 11y agoSo how much medical treatment have you bought for others?
- coldtea 11y agoAlso, 20,000 years of medical treatment with 10 grand? Do you meant "free aspirins" when you said "medical treatment"? There's tooth surgery that costs more than 10 grand, for a single person...
- hedgew 11y agoI used schistosomiasis as an example because its effects and treatments have been widely studied. "Research by J-PAL affiliates Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel has shown that school-based deworming is one of the most cost-effective methods of improving school participation." - http://www.povertyactionlab.org/scale-ups/school-based-deworming http://www.povertyactionlab.org/scale-ups/school-based-dewor... "50 cents per child per year for treatment which includes the costs for advocacy, transport, per diems M and E etc etc." - http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/schisto/donate/faq http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/schisto/donate/faq
- coldtea 11y agoStill, that's not 20,000 years of medical treatment. It's doses of a specific drug. And the people buying a 10 grand gold watch also buy tons of similar things: 2K shoes, 5K suits, 20K "modern art" paintings, 5K earings, 10K poker nights, etc...
- hedgew 11y agoWho I am as a person has nothing to do with the argument.