D&D and the rising pandemic

[The Green Hermit]

That’s an idea that will see a lot of pushback.

I’ve had discussions about UBI with some educated people. Even when I pointed out a version for the USA (designed by economists) that would eliminate whole agencies, shrinking the federal government, while simultaneously being more efficient and help people more than our current system does, they still raised philosophical objections. When I countered that limited real-world tests of that version of UBI had empirical results contrary to their philosophies’ predictions, they still said they wouldn’t support it.

So I suspect that the USA won’t adopt UBI unless & until there’s no other option. I predict I’ll be dead by then, and longevity is a family trait from both of my parents
lineages.

The US is considering a new stimulus package: $2000/month/adult + $500/month/kid until a certain percentage of businesses have been opened back up.

 

[MarkB]

Dental care is the example that I'm personally living right now. I had a procedure scheduled that was cancelled because of the outbreak. My dentist is currently shut down and is only doing work for dental "emergencies". I don't have an emergency right now, but I certainly will in the future if I don't get it taken care of eventually.

Yeah, amateur self hairdressing I can cope with, but self dentistry not so much.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Obviously, no political party is responsible for COVID19. The disease doesn't have a political affiliation...

Not in the US, or other Western countries, but a certain political party/ideology in a certain country who suppressed and delayed and lied, and probably paid off the WHO leaders to do the same for them, about the initial outbreak and spread and severity is responsible for things being worse than they should have been.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Obviously, no political party is responsible for COVID19. The disease doesn't have a political affiliation, no one can predict the future, and things like long term emergency stocking are much more complicated discussions than we can go into here.

But there is absolutely nothing bipartisan about the things I mentioned above. No amount of whataboutism justifies cutting WHO funding during a pandemic.

You’re missing my point.

I’m not engaging in whataboutism. (BELIEVE me.) I’m not forgiving The obvious flaws of our current government’s Covid-19 response.

I am simply pointing out that prior administrations also made some bad decisions that are contributing to the current crisis as well. Failing to replenish the national reserve after depleting it fighting Ebola, HIN1, etc. is a contributing exacerbating factor.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

FWIW, if anyone tells you Covid-19 isn’t as dangerous as the seasonal flu...

Flu season lasts about 1/3 of the year. Even though the seasonal flu can affect someone at any time, it is most active during Dec-March.

If, arguendo, we assume ALL annual seasonal flu deaths occurred only during flu season, that means the worst year in the US saw @500 deaths per day.

In comparison, the current estimated peak for Covid-19 deaths per day is 2000+-.

 

[NotAYakk]

You don't need the people consuming goods and services in a fundamental way.

FWIW, if anyone tells you Covid-19 isn’t as dangerous as the seasonal flu...

Flu season lasts about 1/3 of the year. Even though the seasonal flu can affect someone at any time, it is most active during Dec-March.

If, arguendo, we assume ALL annual seasonal flu deaths occurred only during flu season, that means the worst year in the US saw @500 deaths per day.

In comparison, the current estimated peak for Covid-19 deaths per day is 2000+-.

And that is with massive mitigation measures.

The Covid-19 death rate would be much, much higher without those measures.

It isn't a coincidence that the death rate stops climbing 2-4 weeks after massive mitigation measures are used.

 

[Umbran]

yes, ok, you got me there but my point is that it most likely will be a thing that everyone will be expected to have some skill at, dancing, playing the violin, or haikus that one will have to be good at along with what ever you do.
Excelling in Physics or whatever may not have the same cachet.

I am not entirely sure that I get what you mean. It sounds like you mean the entire world will standardize on one thing - extemporaneous haiku, and that no other skills would matter. If that's what you mean, I am pretty sure that's entirely not the case.

There are two things that we'd probably fall to - things that are useful and things that are entertaining. Be really good at what you do in either of those very broad categories, and you'd be "wealthy" in reputataion. So, a great chef would have high reputation. A great engineer would have it. So would a great songwriter.

 

[Umbran]

Not in the US, or other Western countries, but a certain political party/ideology in a certain country ...

Mod note:
Dude. Please. We are not idiots. And this is not a place where trying to play games around the letter of the law is valid.

I am done with repeated wagging of fingers. Apparently, that's not enough. You're done in this thread.

Anyone else wanna be a wiseacre, and hope the, "But I didn's say exaclty who..." will be a defense? Just don't.

 

[NotAYakk]

I am not entirely sure that I get what you mean. It sounds like you mean the entire world will standardize on one thing - extemporaneous haiku, and that no other skills would matter. If that's what you mean, I am pretty sure that's entirely not the case.

There are two things that we'd probably fall to - things that are useful and things that are entertaining. Be really good at what you do in either of those very broad categories, and you'd be "wealthy" in reputataion. So, a great chef would have high reputation. A great engineer would have it. So would a great songwriter.

Now, imagine a world where all of those skills are done more competently by a robot.

A robot can make better tasting food (like, literally -- let them look at a human making food or the result, and they make stuff that looks better and tastes better in any kind of "blind" taste test). Similar for engineering and writing songs.

They can even be a personal assistant better -- find things for you to enjoy, organize your life, etc.

Different robots also provides better police services, better accounting oversight, wins at go and chess, can do ballet, etc.

Like literally the only thing that people do better is be meat bags of mostly water.

What more, those robots cost less to build and run than it does to feed a human, in terms of using crop land to grow either human food or energy feedstock for machines.

Now imagine you are a group of people who controls 75% of the wealth (resource rights) of a nation. You own literally three quarters of the assets, land, etc. What more, your economic system lets you spend those resources on buying out more rights. Do you want to use your resources providing for humans who don't do anything useful for you, or do you want to use them for your own (and your family's) enjoyment?

I mean, a crystal palace on top of a snow covered mountain in Florida isn't going to build itself.

And your friend has a taller ice palace. But, if you arrange the terms just right, you can claim the assets of another 5% of the nation in a mere 10 years through some sneaky contract work.

Sure there are homeless, but is it your responsibility to care for people who lost their social security number?

When the mass of people democratically seem to be about to decide to take your resources away, will you sit back, or are the police forces robots just rented from your firms already?

 

[Umbran]

I kinda love the fact that it's Seth McFarlane who gives the clearest explanation of Star Trek economics (TNG-era and beyond, at least).

He has the benefit of having the entirety of Trek history (and discussion of its economy) to derive it from.