Comment by kome
9 years ago
American tech élite is funny... USA can't even a normal healthcare BUT the tech élite is all about Universal Basic Income, Transhumanism, the dangers of AI, going to Mars and saving the suburbs/car lifestyle.
Can't they just wake up and put their mental energy and money on something that actually make sense?
> Can't they just wake up and put their mental energy and money on something that actually make sense?
They put their money on problems that have a clear path of solving.
Americans cannot agree to use their money on other Americans who have different values than them, westernized social welfare systems occur in homogenous cultures.
In the US, the homogenous elite and majority power cannot agree to use their money on problems that affect a completely different culture in the lower classes. In continental governments such as the EU, you see the same thing.
> ... put their mental energy and money on something ...
When thinking of it, I am often convinced that money is a poor solution to the most challenging problems. Sam likes the idea of universal income, but to me that's like supplying extra oxygen/fuel to an engine, but if the engine is broken it won't do anything, for example I won't be surprised that if every citizen gets extra $2K a month, the cost of "healthcare" will magically raise exactly by that same amount.
The problem is that money is now immaterial, numbers in a computer somewhere, but we live in a material world. Imagine your city desperately needs to build a new subway station or hospital. It has the civil engineers, the architects, the machinery, the materials and the workers but if there is no money, nothing will get done. How absurd is that?
Money should not be a problem if it's aligned with the reality of our physical world and its limits.
But the resources of the world are being wasted on multiple levels because there's "good money to be made" while important needs are not addressed.
Playing devil's advocate: I'm assuming that's because the things you have listed don't have a lot of (or any) laws/regulations around them. At least not to the degree that fixing wealth distribution does. Can you image all of the tax restructuring you'd have to achieve? Plus the fact that all of the lobbyists and other deeply entrenched parties that will oppose you.
If I were in a similar position I'd likely opt for the most fun-sounding futuristic project that doesn't involve all that pain.
Indeed. I think you are right. They prefer toying with childish ideas instead of dealing with the boring, difficult and dirty job of real politics.
And in fact, perhaps it's better like this.
Edit: that said, their ideas do have real political consequences: keeping the status quo as it is.
I do agree with you (we should be tackling problems that have plagued humanity since we've been a species). I think it's just incredibly tough to find motivation when the cards are already stacked against your from the start. Largely thankless work even when you are successful. Why fight to get healthcare accessible to all when you could make the world "more open and connected" instead (and become a billionaire in the process)?