Well-written, argued, and described, and I really appreciate how you focused on the way Atlas Shrugged described gradual logistical breakdowns, which for me is one of the most powerful and prescient moves of whole book. I fear that people who don't work on the logistical or "ground" level have no concept of what Rand is describing, but it is paramount to understand and occurring. Well done, Bethany, as always.
Thanks, Daniel! I think the problem is people are so specialized and siloed that it's inconceivable to them how these sorts of societal collapses are perpetuated. Add onto that all the inconveniences of these breakdowns and then you have distracted people with no idea what's really wrong or how to fix it.
That's excellent and I completely agree. The specialization contributes to a lack of understanding the interconnectedness...and then it's too late...(nervous cough)
It seems like every week a train loaded with toxic chemicals inexplicably derails and threatens to destroy some quiet rural or suburban community by completely ruining the water. We can't have anything good anymore. If we try to escape to nature, the parasites which compose our ruling class—whether through criminal incompetence or outright maliciousness—will kill the animals, poison the fish, and make the air toxic. They hate us, and most of us (meaning, the undereducated and easily manipulated peasant class of America) are too hopelessly ignorant to realize it.
The only real solution is to get as far, far away from it all as possible, and hope that everything implodes before the parasites finally make it to your door.
I'm at an airport right now. It's 8:55pm and our flight is scheduled to take off at 8:52pm but GUESS WHAT our flight crew is a 2 hour flight away in a different city (thus delaying our flight at least another 2.5 hours) and hey ho the info screen at the gate hasn't been updated and the service desk is unattended. What a tile to be alive.
I'm very much persuaded by the collapsitarian-type arguments but I think the ramp up to AGI is going to displace all these rise/fall cycle dynamics. Not a technical person but timelines are looking close-ish on that front.
Well-written, argued, and described, and I really appreciate how you focused on the way Atlas Shrugged described gradual logistical breakdowns, which for me is one of the most powerful and prescient moves of whole book. I fear that people who don't work on the logistical or "ground" level have no concept of what Rand is describing, but it is paramount to understand and occurring. Well done, Bethany, as always.
Thanks, Daniel! I think the problem is people are so specialized and siloed that it's inconceivable to them how these sorts of societal collapses are perpetuated. Add onto that all the inconveniences of these breakdowns and then you have distracted people with no idea what's really wrong or how to fix it.
That's excellent and I completely agree. The specialization contributes to a lack of understanding the interconnectedness...and then it's too late...(nervous cough)
It seems like every week a train loaded with toxic chemicals inexplicably derails and threatens to destroy some quiet rural or suburban community by completely ruining the water. We can't have anything good anymore. If we try to escape to nature, the parasites which compose our ruling class—whether through criminal incompetence or outright maliciousness—will kill the animals, poison the fish, and make the air toxic. They hate us, and most of us (meaning, the undereducated and easily manipulated peasant class of America) are too hopelessly ignorant to realize it.
The only real solution is to get as far, far away from it all as possible, and hope that everything implodes before the parasites finally make it to your door.
I'm at an airport right now. It's 8:55pm and our flight is scheduled to take off at 8:52pm but GUESS WHAT our flight crew is a 2 hour flight away in a different city (thus delaying our flight at least another 2.5 hours) and hey ho the info screen at the gate hasn't been updated and the service desk is unattended. What a tile to be alive.
I'm very much persuaded by the collapsitarian-type arguments but I think the ramp up to AGI is going to displace all these rise/fall cycle dynamics. Not a technical person but timelines are looking close-ish on that front.