The Kaiser and a "Mediocre Man" Theory of History

Post by Eddy_Viscosity2 » Sat, May 30, 2026, 2:15 PM UTC

jocaal wrote: post #57

Eddy_Viscosity2 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And if you try to create a merit based system, you take away the liberties of the people. How does a system that rewards people for being good at what they do 'take away liberties'? > Who decides what person deserves more than another? You will create a system ripe for corruption. Who decides this now? Its the people who already have more and this has resulted in our existing system being rife with corruption at th…

> How does a system that rewards people for being good at what they do 'take away liberties'? Define being good at what you do. It's not such an easy thing. IMO the best way we can do such a thing is let markets and trade define what it means to be good at what you do. If you provide value to others and your customers are willing to pay you a premium, that means you are good at what you do. It's hard to explain my wa…

Post by jocaal » Sat, May 30, 2026, 2:31 PM UTC

Eddy_Viscosity2 wrote: post #61

jocaal wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How does a system that rewards people for being good at what they do 'take away liberties'? Define being good at what you do. It's not such an easy thing. IMO the best way we can do such a thing is let markets and trade define what it means to be good at what you do. If you provide value to others and your customers are willing to pay you a premium, that means you are good at what you do. It's hard to explain my wa…

> more enforcement of competition rules It sounds like you are advocating for a merit-based system.

Post by darkerside » Sat, May 30, 2026, 2:42 PM UTC

Eddy_Viscosity2 wrote: post #41

hdhx8 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More useful less cynical frame is the Theory of Bounded Rationality which tell us everything has limits. Merit included.

I mean, yes everything has limits. I think the point is that the limit for how much merit is required for our system to run is much much lower then people would intuitively expect. Which is why its surprising when we see very clearly incompetent people thriving at the same time other very clearly competent and talented people are struggling, and wondering how that could possibly happen.

Post by rbanffy » Sat, May 30, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC

_dain_ wrote: post #20

rbanffy wrote: post #14

When you look at white noise from up close, you see dramatic changes, periods of calm, and what seems like patterns. Only when you step back, you realise all that drama you read is mostly inconsequential. What will be the impact of Napoleon 1000 years from now? Of Columbus? If instead of Hitler Germany had Rohm? It’s all monkeys and typewriters all the way down. What matters are the structural forces, the natural res…

We still speak today of Charlemagne, Muhammed, Caesar, Alexander. Napoleon and Columbus have secured for themselves their seats in the pantheon of history and it will take longer than a thousand years for mankind to forget about them. All these men built our world.

Post by cyanydeez » Sat, May 30, 2026, 5:08 PM UTC

grndn wrote: post #55

"Understandably, there has been much speculation as to [leader]’s mental fitness. It has been marked that [leader] possessed a perpetual immaturity. He had great difficulty in taking matters seriously, and tended to fixate on surface level details that caught his fancy to the neglect of the heart of the matter. He spoke without preparation or consideration, seemingly unaware of the consequences this brought about. Ho…