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Other People’s Problems

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Re: Other People’s Problems

#81

Post by nemothekid »

jahewson wrote: post #54
zackmorris wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ya the blogger falls for a fallacy that I often see from people who consider themselves smart, especially in tech: that they are somehow more clever/insightful/effective than other people and know how everything should work. But as I've gotten older and more experienced, I've come to understand that everyone is uniquely talented and brilliant in some way. The vast majority of people are just vulnerable to becoming tr…

Ironically, most of what you’ve said here is false because it’s government in the driving seat, not business. The infamous avocado toast incident was regarding a mortgage down payment, not rent. That’s due to the post-2008 asset bubble created by central banks. If you think fentanyl is not a critical component of the US’ homelessness crisis I don’t know what to say - go to Europe, the homeless there are not in a zomb…

It's strange to absolve "business" and then blame the government for problems caused by business.

First the post-2008 asset bubble; why does that exist? Lenders became extremely lax with credit requirements and created an incredibly toxic debt bubble. Sure you can argue the bailouts and subsequent low interest rate environment maybe have been the wrong medicine, but it's easy to say that in hindsight when at the time several people had been wiped out.

>If you think fentanyl is not a critical component of the US’ homelessness crisis I don’t know what to say

Why is fentanyl a problem in the US? I think it's insincere to pretend Purdue didn't have an outsized effect on this problem. They pushed opioids on doctors and flooded rural america with oxycontin. Once addicted Americans could no longer get oxycontin, they turned to heroin, and the increased demand of heroin created the conditions for fentanyl to flood the market.

>Pensions are the most protected assets on this planet

401(k) were almost completely wiped out in 2008. Why focus on pensions when most people's retirement vehicles today are tax-deferred investment accounts?

Businesses are free create deeply systemic issues and when those behind the issues are rich and the problems externalized onto the rest of the country, we are free to turn around and blame the "bad" government.

It's like licking a door handle and blaming the human body in the "drivers seat" for cells dying when it raises the internal temperature to 102 degrees. How about instead of blaming the immune system for the 102 degree fever, we just don't lick door handles?

Re: Other People’s Problems

#82

Post by bluGill »

datadrivenangel wrote: post #23
coldtea wrote: post #11

He forgot one of the most obvious reasons: we, as a third party, don't have the extra stress associated with having the problem (or having to deal with the consequences of any potential solution). So we can think without those anxieties and more impartially.

It is easier to help someone else organize their house than to organize your own.

Sure, like my sister in law who moved all the yellow books together. Fiction, all different non-fiction, different series - all over the place, but the shelf looks nice by color even though I can't find anything without reading every title.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#83

Post by OkayPhysicist »

nemothekid wrote: post #81
jahewson wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ironically, most of what you’ve said here is false because it’s government in the driving seat, not business. The infamous avocado toast incident was regarding a mortgage down payment, not rent. That’s due to the post-2008 asset bubble created by central banks. If you think fentanyl is not a critical component of the US’ homelessness crisis I don’t know what to say - go to Europe, the homeless there are not in a zomb…

It's strange to absolve "business" and then blame the government for problems caused by business. First the post-2008 asset bubble; why does that exist? Lenders became extremely lax with credit requirements and created an incredibly toxic debt bubble. Sure you can argue the bailouts and subsequent low interest rate environment maybe have been the wrong medicine, but it's easy to say that in hindsight when at the time…

People often confuse "predictable" with "not at fault". Your drug addict cousin will, very predictably, steal shit when they visit. It's a matter of prudence to keep them away from your valuables, but it's still their fault for stealing. Likewise, corporations will very predictably be astoundingly evil if they can make a buck at it, so the government is obligated to keep them in line, but it doesn't absolve the companies from being at fault.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#84

Post by lazide »

pc86 wrote: post #79
WalterBright wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> due to corporate greed inflation The inflation is the inevitable result of flooding the economy with trillions of dollars in freshly printed money. It happens every time the printing press is run like that, in every country, throughout history. > we'll actually reclaim the economic liberty that we used to enjoy Having the government run the economy is not economic liberty.

Isn't it funny that everyone right of center thinks inflation is due to trillions of dollars added to the economy and everyone left of center thinks inflation is due to people in 3-piece suits and monocles wanting another boat?

Why can't it be both?

Re: Other People’s Problems

#85

Post by AlbertCory »

As Steve Goodman sang:

And I saw the boss come a-walkin' down along that factory line

He said, "We all have to tighten up our belts."

But he didn't look any thinner than he did a year ago

And I wonder just how hungry that man felt

But he knows it ain't too hard to get along with somebody else's troubles

And they don't make you lose any sleep at night

Just as long as fate is out there bustin' somebody' else's bubbles

Everything is gonna be alright

Re: Other People’s Problems

#86

Post by lotsofpulp »

pc86 wrote: post #79
WalterBright wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> due to corporate greed inflation The inflation is the inevitable result of flooding the economy with trillions of dollars in freshly printed money. It happens every time the printing press is run like that, in every country, throughout history. > we'll actually reclaim the economic liberty that we used to enjoy Having the government run the economy is not economic liberty.

Isn't it funny that everyone right of center thinks inflation is due to trillions of dollars added to the economy and everyone left of center thinks inflation is due to people in 3-piece suits and monocles wanting another boat?

Where are the people that think inflation is inevitable because there is always a political push from the most active political constituency (old people/about to be old people/their beneficiaries) to keep asset prices rising to be able to fulfill their demands from labor suppliers (younger, less experienced, less politically active)?

Especially entertaining with the way demographics are going. It wasn’t much of an issue in previous decades due to momentum of population growth.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#87

Post by pc86 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #86
pc86 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it funny that everyone right of center thinks inflation is due to trillions of dollars added to the economy and everyone left of center thinks inflation is due to people in 3-piece suits and monocles wanting another boat?

Where are the people that think inflation is inevitable because there is always a political push from the most active political constituency (old people/about to be old people/their beneficiaries) to keep asset prices rising to be able to fulfill their demands from labor suppliers (younger, less experienced, less politically active)? Especially entertaining with the way demographics are going. It wasn’t much of an is…

Some moderate level of inflation is a pretty basic economic principle. Too much and you cause some problems but none or negative and you see a whole host of other issues.

That's like saying the fact the first couple payments on a loan are almost all interest because of a conspiracy among politically active bankers, when in actuality it's because that's how math works.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#88

Post by [deleted] »

pc86 wrote: post #87
lotsofpulp wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where are the people that think inflation is inevitable because there is always a political push from the most active political constituency (old people/about to be old people/their beneficiaries) to keep asset prices rising to be able to fulfill their demands from labor suppliers (younger, less experienced, less politically active)? Especially entertaining with the way demographics are going. It wasn’t much of an is…

Some moderate level of inflation is a pretty basic economic principle. Too much and you cause some problems but none or negative and you see a whole host of other issues. That's like saying the fact the first couple payments on a loan are almost all interest because of a conspiracy among politically active bankers, when in actuality it's because that's how math works.

[deleted]

Re: Other People’s Problems

#89

Post by lotsofpulp »

pc86 wrote: post #87
lotsofpulp wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where are the people that think inflation is inevitable because there is always a political push from the most active political constituency (old people/about to be old people/their beneficiaries) to keep asset prices rising to be able to fulfill their demands from labor suppliers (younger, less experienced, less politically active)? Especially entertaining with the way demographics are going. It wasn’t much of an is…

Some moderate level of inflation is a pretty basic economic principle. Too much and you cause some problems but none or negative and you see a whole host of other issues. That's like saying the fact the first couple payments on a loan are almost all interest because of a conspiracy among politically active bankers, when in actuality it's because that's how math works.

Yes, small positive inflation is better than any negative inflation. But the inflation in land/education/healthcare is quite a bit more than that.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#90

Post by samus »

JohnFen wrote: post #45
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #10

My general experience is often people think problems are easy to solve from the outside because they just don't understand the problem. Thus you can often find communities of people with disabilities who understand the problems and the people from the outside who offer insulting and simple solutions to the problems. As soon as someone falls from group B into group A the problems stop becoming simple and easily solubl…

> My general experience is often people think problems are easy to solve from the outside because they just don't understand the problem. This. And not just for personal problems. I have a rule when I start working in a new place to not offer any real criticisms or unsolicited advice for the first year. This is because it's very likely that my advice is too naive and is coming from a place of being ignorant of some a…

I think you might doing some disservice by not pointing out such things. Outsider's perspective can be very valuable to improve processes.

Even if there are good reasons why things are how they are, you'll find out much faster why. Contrary to when interacting with people where advice is often simply not wanted, you are pretty much paid to treat an organization's problem as your own. Sometimes problems persist because people simply have stopped caring about them.

I think the most common reason might be toxic or ineffective management, fighting their own problems, real or imagined. Newcomers should read the room whether that's the case as fast as possible since in that case offering "solutions" could indeed be counterproductive or outright dangerous to one's career.

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