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I loved everything about this post. Very enlightening
I didn't. Its a person with too many first world problems and a dash of conspiracy theories. ( high level marketers created the world we live in...ect)
But... they did. That's the entire idea behind marketing and consumerism. They're paid to make us need a certain product or service. It's not paranoia.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree. The first half explains the situation, the second half gives you options as far as dealing with it.
But the "explaining the situation" is a striking exposition of a relatively original perspective, whereas the "options for dealing with it" are the same shtick we read every week here on HN.
It's amazing to me how much expense comes out of fear. For example, one of the reasons why Manhattan real estate is so expensive is that people feel a need to live here in order to keep up their professional status. Not to limit their commutes, but because the really evil law and financial firms stop promoting you as soon as you move off the island. So they spend $5 million on a house, as opposed to, for example, not…
If you are amazed by that, I suggest you spend a chunk of time outside America. The rest of the world is not run by fear.
I spent last week in America, and was amazed by how pervasive that culture is there.
It's amazing to me how much expense comes out of fear. For example, one of the reasons why Manhattan real estate is so expensive is that people feel a need to live here in order to keep up their professional status. Not to limit their commutes, but because the really evil law and financial firms stop promoting you as soon as you move off the island. So they spend $5 million on a house, as opposed to, for example, not…
As for schooling, I think it's about fear but I think you're incorrect about the subject of the fear. These days, basically the only kids left in public schools are the kids whose parents can't afford to send them somewhere else. High-income city dwellers do not want their kids going to school with recent immigrants, poor minorities, etc. It's ugly tribalism, but when it comes to housing and schooling choices it's a driving force.
I am torn on the question of universal medical coverage, for complex reasons that I imagine no one here wants to hear. I am wondering, though, if anyone has any ideas on how America could implement government funded, universal healthcare, what pitfalls we should look out for, etc.
This is a great post. My only disagreement is with the insinuation that the lack of universal healthcare in the US is there to intentionally trap people in unfulfilling jobs. While I agree that it sometimes has this affect, I think universal healthcare may actually make people even more dependent on the system the author is writing against, all while decreasing the quality of the health care we receive. Great article…
Complicating the relationship starts to reduce the mobility of labour. In turn that introduces inefficiency and detracts from national productivity. Granted that reducing labour mobility may have local, short-term benefits for a single company, but averaged out it is a negative.
It's amazing to me how much expense comes out of fear. For example, one of the reasons why Manhattan real estate is so expensive is that people feel a need to live here in order to keep up their professional status. Not to limit their commutes, but because the really evil law and financial firms stop promoting you as soon as you move off the island. So they spend $5 million on a house, as opposed to, for example, not…
I loved everything about this post. Very enlightening
I didn't. Its a person with too many first world problems and a dash of conspiracy theories. ( high level marketers created the world we live in...ect)
The reality is, everybody working and consuming so hard makes it fairly easy for the occasional rebel to disengage, given the massive productivity of society overall. So quit complaining.
It's amazing to me how much expense comes out of fear. For example, one of the reasons why Manhattan real estate is so expensive is that people feel a need to live here in order to keep up their professional status. Not to limit their commutes, but because the really evil law and financial firms stop promoting you as soon as you move off the island. So they spend $5 million on a house, as opposed to, for example, not…
I'm not sure that's the whole story. There are lots of reasons to live in Manhattan. Being able to walk or take a quick bus to work is one. Wanting to live in a modern building is another (although there are finally some coming up in Brooklyn). By far the overriding thing keeping Manhattan real estate prices high is housing regulation. Given the density of Manhattan, it should look like Hong Kong in terms of high ris…
I'd argue it's actualy the proximity to wealth. Hamptons is not regulated, and look at their prices. Finance, Law, medicine, and Media are all either pyramid pay or actual legal monopoly businesses. The rest is made on inside information, that stems from access that wealth brings to political, academic, and philanthropic circles. Not that there is anything wrong with that, its just how the 'world works' in many ways.
In any event, real estate is the ante to play the game. The proximity to power breeds value for two reasons: lust (in those who lack power) and practicalities (for those who have power, and want to keep it). Its worth noting that owning real-estate is about excluding other people from using it. High real estate prices force out competitors that migh otherwise use the assets to create a competing culture.