Economics links
Microsoft™ can’t get their physical packaging right either.
Israeli porn sites are popular in Arab countries. Via _53.
The US Federal government massively subsidises building in flood-prone places.
What does most wealth consist of? human capital and the value of institutions (as measured by rule of law) constitute the largest share of wealth in virtually all countries … natural capital accounts for 5 percent of total wealth, produced capital for 18 percent, and intangible capital 77 percent … Rich countries are largely rich because of the skills of their populations and the quality of the institutions supporting economic activity.
Being in favour of abundance; Imagine an egalitarian world in which all food is organic and local, the air is free of industrial pollution, and vigorous physical exertion is guaranteed. Sound idyllic?
But hold on… Life expectancy is 30 at most; many children die at or soon after birth; life is constantly lived on the edge of starvation; there are no doctors or dentists or modern toilets. If it is egalitarian it is because everyone is dirt poor, and there is no industrial pollution because there are no factories. Food is organic because there are no pesticides or high technology farming methods. As a result, producing food means long hours of back-breaking physical work which may end up yielding little.
There is - or at least was - such a place. It is called the past. And few of us, it seems, recognise the enormous benefits to humanity of escaping from it. On the contrary, there is a pervasive culture of complaint about the perils of affluence and a common tendency to romanticise the simple life.
Japan is back from stagnation and has changed.
China is suffering major environmental problems from rapid economic growth. C21st China is behaving a lot like C19th US did.
How important is the right to vote compared to such things as the rule of law?
Arguing that anarchy works better than generally thought.
Arguing that opportunity matters more than equality for happiness. Cross-country comparisons may provide some support for this thesis.
Israeli porn sites are popular in Arab countries. Via _53.
The US Federal government massively subsidises building in flood-prone places.
What does most wealth consist of? human capital and the value of institutions (as measured by rule of law) constitute the largest share of wealth in virtually all countries … natural capital accounts for 5 percent of total wealth, produced capital for 18 percent, and intangible capital 77 percent … Rich countries are largely rich because of the skills of their populations and the quality of the institutions supporting economic activity.
Being in favour of abundance; Imagine an egalitarian world in which all food is organic and local, the air is free of industrial pollution, and vigorous physical exertion is guaranteed. Sound idyllic?
But hold on… Life expectancy is 30 at most; many children die at or soon after birth; life is constantly lived on the edge of starvation; there are no doctors or dentists or modern toilets. If it is egalitarian it is because everyone is dirt poor, and there is no industrial pollution because there are no factories. Food is organic because there are no pesticides or high technology farming methods. As a result, producing food means long hours of back-breaking physical work which may end up yielding little.
There is - or at least was - such a place. It is called the past. And few of us, it seems, recognise the enormous benefits to humanity of escaping from it. On the contrary, there is a pervasive culture of complaint about the perils of affluence and a common tendency to romanticise the simple life.
Japan is back from stagnation and has changed.
China is suffering major environmental problems from rapid economic growth. C21st China is behaving a lot like C19th US did.
How important is the right to vote compared to such things as the rule of law?
Arguing that anarchy works better than generally thought.
Arguing that opportunity matters more than equality for happiness. Cross-country comparisons may provide some support for this thesis.