tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7516365113085703166.post3217553842993814489..comments2022-11-13T09:12:02.500+01:00Comments on Critique of Pure Barbell: Our sunny future III (economy)Vintage Rockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778131632227119571noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7516365113085703166.post-16479677338193633712015-07-24T19:21:54.050+02:002015-07-24T19:21:54.050+02:00A very valid point, you can't imagine how much...A very valid point, you can't imagine how much I have agonized over the idea of somewhat limiting people's liberty in order to increase equality. I finally settled in this schema because a) I'd rather exchange somebody telling me what to do for 58 4 hour days (and then letting me keep whatever I choose to produce the other 162 days) than letting me do whatever I want for 220 days, like they do today, but then take away from me what I have produced in 127 of those days, and b) the activities to produce the goods required to satisfy true human needs (as opposed to artificially created ones) require very little skill, specially in a highly automated economy, and I think it develops positive character traits (and stronger community ties) to have everybody build a basic proficiency level on those skills and rotate using them. Think of it as an extended military service, which was common in Athens and Sparta (and at a lesser extent still is in Switzerland and Israel). Vintage Rockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04778131632227119571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7516365113085703166.post-91642380620460371172015-07-24T13:57:29.870+02:002015-07-24T13:57:29.870+02:00This is a very interesting picture of our economic...This is a very interesting picture of our economic future. And for sure, one in which I would be very happy. But when reading the piece I could not avoid wondering what is the difference between this system and the communist ones we've had in some countries. Last week I read for example how people in Uzbekistan still have to work for the community (or rather for the fat cat in the government) some days in the year, picking cotton...Of course here there is greater freedom to earn more if you wish, but the problem is about the incentives to work for the common good. I also have some trouble accepting that people will be happier doing what they are told to do (a bit of everything) instead of what they excel at...Anyway, very interesting post, a lot of food for thought over summer beers...:)Pedro Linareshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03752416272915637492noreply@blogger.com