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Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

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Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#201

Post by actuallymaybeez »

Rury wrote: post #195
alexvoda wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While communism does have it's flaws, i would argue it has in fact never been tried.

Look, I think communism sounds great, but the problem is that it simply doesn't work in practice. In other words, it has been tried, it just doesn't work. To see why, you can categorize the forms of government as so: - Monarchy/Dictatorship: Power in the hands of one, one person is authority - Oligarchy/Republic: Power in the hands of a few, aristocrats are authority - Democracy: Power in the hands of many, majority…

Actually Yugoslavia and Pre 1978 Romania were not that bad. They produced a lot of their own things. Yugoslavia had a strong economy with lots of industry. Same for Romania and their prospects for oil development.

The issue came in because the US wanted to break up the soviet bloc so the World Bank went to town and made sure that happened.

We will never know what would have happened if Tito and Ceausescu would not have been squeezed by debt and foreign interference.

Maybe the reason you don't see a good example of Communism besides maybe China/Viet Nam is because the west is actively engaged in making sure that doesn't happen.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#202

Post by bradlys »

As much as we are all about laissez-faire when it comes to dating and romance - I think we’re getting to a point that might cause some real strife in the western world. Seeing 60%+ of young men be single when only 30% of young women are single - it’s… worrying.

There’s no simple solution when we’ve become such an atomized society and so hyper individualistic. It’s a problem that we rarely care about as well. As soon as someone is no longer alone, they no longer care about this problem that society is going through. As long as the majority of people are getting together (even if it’s a slim majority), nothing will be done.

I think the fall of romantic relationships is a contributor to society becoming more individualistic. I’m not worried about birth rates like everyone else. I’m worried about our happiness.

Being single and alone and without any intimacy is a very unenjoyable existence for most people - and I don’t think there’s ever going to be a cure for it other than to be with someone who loves you.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#203

Post by watoc »

Kon5ole wrote: post #149
eimrine wrote: post #12

A lot of a billionaires which: 1. Exist 2. Actively making us not noticing their existance by shitting us with some fake problems like gays, drugs, foreigners, terrorists, etc (different set of fake problems per country).

In the western democratic world billionaires are an inevitable side-effect of having a high standard of living for the general population. If you create a company that employs a million people and manages to remain profitable you'll be a billionaire even if you don't want to. The only way for you to not be a billionaire is to give up control of your company to someone else who will then be the billionaire. We have ye…

Rather than focusing on billionaires I think the overarching issue is the widening wealth gap. this is not sustainable in the long run and will lead to catastrophes for our society.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#204

Post by maybetryit »

Rury wrote: post #195
alexvoda wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While communism does have it's flaws, i would argue it has in fact never been tried.

Look, I think communism sounds great, but the problem is that it simply doesn't work in practice. In other words, it has been tried, it just doesn't work. To see why, you can categorize the forms of government as so: - Monarchy/Dictatorship: Power in the hands of one, one person is authority - Oligarchy/Republic: Power in the hands of a few, aristocrats are authority - Democracy: Power in the hands of many, majority…

"For example, in Democracy, you settle disputes by voting, where the majority wins, and the rest don't get their way. This ability to settle disputes without violence, is what makes us civil and what makes society a society. Without it (such as with communism), you are in complete anarchy, where raw might/ability (eg successful violence/persuasion) is the only thing there is left to settle disputes. Thus, those who wield it typically end up becoming the "authority", and is why over time, communism/anarchy will naturally change into one of the other forms of government."

In the US only 50% of the population votes. The church doesn't pay taxes but lobbies the gov via proxies. Rich people definitely have more rights than the others. Just because they fight in court doesn't mean it's not called violence. Rich people are the authority in the US. They decide what you watch, what you buy and where you can spend your money. Just because they work for corporations doesn't mean there isn't a hierarchy. Rich people own America and they behavior of it's citizens, because they shape the contexts in which you live. They also own the rest of the world via Hollywood.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#205

Post by kerkeslager »

satvikpendem wrote: post #153
kerkeslager wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Capitalism has been tried more times than communism and has failed to reward productive people more times. It's 2023. The absurd idea that, for example, the billionaires pushing the Metaverse or burning Twitter to the ground got there by being productive, is thoroughly disproven. Stop pushing this motivated ideology.

Capitalism has lifted billions out of poverty. Even China, who is communist in name, only started experiencing high economic growth once Deng Xiao Ping started reforming the state to be more market oriented, ie capitalism-lite.

> Capitalism has lifted billions out of poverty.

It's not clear that capitalism was a necessary component of globalisation or the progress of technology, both of which are adequate to explain any benefits capitalism might claim.

What is clear is how many billions capitalism has kept in poverty while the top 1% get absurdly rich. 10 men had more wealth than 3.1 billion people in 2021[1]. The US, supposed beacon of capitalism, can't even provide housing, healthcare, or education for its people, despite having the largest GDP of any country in the world. You claim capitalism a success, but the only way you can do that is by turning a blind eye to the capitalism's total failures.

> Even China, who is communist in name, only started experiencing high economic growth once Deng Xiao Ping started reforming the state to be more market oriented, ie capitalism-lite.

You claim China has experienced economic growth: who in China has experienced that? Capitalists love to lump everyone in a country together in their measures of economic growth as if everyone is benefiting, but that's not the case.

And the thing is, I'm not even a communist, per se. But I sure as hell am against a few lucky capitalists getting fat off the labor of billions of people.

[1] https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/inequality-kills

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#206

Post by rinka_singh »

cratermoon wrote: post #15

Water and water rights.

Water!!! With drying rivers, increasing pollution, potable water for humans, flora and fauna is becoming a key necessity.

The other side of this increasing pollution - this dramatically reduces the amount of potable water available.

THIS (m'thinks) is / will be a key reason for conflicts, for the continuation and accelleration of the ongoing extinction event...

If we must survive, this is one problem that needs to be solved.

There are others too: handling/processing/disposing pollution/garbage at scale and sustainable power generation but they are currently the next priority.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#207

Post by creer »

Government.

Someone threw in the rise of authoritarianism. The issue is much broader. It's one of efficiency; understanding and respect of technology and science (past, current and potential); influence of religions, mobs and fads (including scientific fads and mobs); understanding and respect for economics (mostly taken as a joke and molded to other obsessions); understanding and respect for time scale including the power of engineering at scale (as opposed to the next election or coup).

In general humanity has tremendous resources and potential power - and makes sad and shitty use of it. Yes, different people have different ideas on what is the right thing to do, but that's where the problem is. We need to become more effective at sorting that out. It's hopefully not simply a question of "enlightened authoritarianism can do it". This all deserves work and progress and our systems are dated and don't seem to be progressing currently (I mean over the past 20 years).

And corruption (in broad terms, not just money), and alignment, etc, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#208

Post by cratermoon »

rinka_singh wrote: post #206
cratermoon wrote: post #15

Water and water rights.

Water!!! With drying rivers, increasing pollution, potable water for humans, flora and fauna is becoming a key necessity. The other side of this increasing pollution - this dramatically reduces the amount of potable water available. THIS (m'thinks) is / will be a key reason for conflicts, for the continuation and accelleration of the ongoing extinction event... If we must survive, this is one problem that needs to be…

Texas and New Mexico have been in a fight over water from the Rio Grande for a decade[1]. Seven western states have been trying to fix the flawed Colorado River Compact[2]. That's just for the US.

1 https://www.hcn.org/articles/south-water-the-history-behind-...

2 https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/02/colorado-rive...

Re: Ask HN: Problems for the next decade?

#210

Post by madrasman »

serjester wrote: post #190

Phone addiction. I know plenty of people that average 10+ hours a day of screen time. Teenagers are even worse. We have tons of worrying signs and for now we’re not doing anything about it. Unfortunately not a problem that’s easily solved and the algorithms are only getting better.

I have been thinking more of this problem recently. Excess phone use seems to be affecting vitality, presence, connection, sharpness, and happiness, with older adults too. Can you share any more insights on the problem or ideas?
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