D&D and the rising pandemic

[Hussar]

Way I understand it is more who went where. More Scots came to NZ proportionally. Scotland had very progressive and educated enlightenment.

By 19th century standards.

In America they kind of recreated the aristocracy. Big plantations and landed gentry in all but name. Here they broke up the big landowners in the 19th century.

More egalitarian, social laboratory for the UK.

Most of the other differences are basic things like how schools and cities are funded. More centralised and due to how things are funded we don't really have rust belt type areas and the regions are reasonably prosperous.

Well, there's other issues as well. The fact that your country is smaller than some US states does make centralization somewhat easier. Never minding less than a tenth of the population.

People tend to forget just how freaking big the US is. Not just in area, but, population.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well, there's other issues as well. The fact that your country is smaller than some US states does make centralization somewhat easier. Never minding less than a tenth of the population.

People tend to forget just how freaking big the US is. Not just in area, but, population.

One can still look at smaller areas of the states NZ similar in size to Colorado.

There's some systematic problems in USA that basically can't be fixed. It's not the usual suspects that are popular online but basic things like infrastructure.

Can't be to judgemental though the disfunction here is a different flavour but it exists. Basically boils down to 40 years of don't do anything significant and kick that can down the street.

They're running out of street though.
Half expecting a Greek style meltdown next year or localized GFC. Still haven't really had anything resembling a riot since 1981.

 

[Umbran]

There's some systematic problems in USA that basically can't be fixed. It's not the usual suspects that are popular online but basic things like infrastructure.

Our infrastructure issues are eminently fixable.

 

[Zardnaar]

Our infrastructure issues are eminently fixable.

Some of it is bridges etc.

But the way suburban sprawl happens seems to be unfixable except on a hypothetical level.

Basically you would have to change your society fundamentallu from the ground up. That's not gonna happen anytime soon.

Things like roads and bridges are doable and the work required on the Mississippi, ports things like that while big ticket items are comparatively easy if expensive.

I'm talking about how your cities run and are funded. Not just the rust belt but California, Seattle, Midwest. How the local governments expand them issue consents etc.

Could you fix it theoretically yes but I put it on par with rewriting your constitution, changing your culture more or less over night, world peace, getting your vax rae up to 90% or NZ militarizing and annexing California.

 

[Hussar]

You point to California. California's economy absolutely dwarfs your entire country's GDP. Granted, it dwarfs pretty much everyone's but, sure.

I get the notion of flinging poop at Americans. Hey, I'm Canadian. This is virtually a national pastime for us. But, for all the things you certainly can poop on the Americans for, this seems like a really strange one.

 

[Zardnaar]

You point to California. California's economy absolutely dwarfs your entire country's GDP. Granted, it dwarfs pretty much everyone's but, sure.

I get the notion of flinging poop at Americans. Hey, I'm Canadian. This is virtually a national pastime for us. But, for all the things you certainly can poop on the Americans for, this seems like a really strange one.

It's not a size thing but with Covid response it's cultural.

You can't fix that in a hurry.

You can't eliminate Covid in the USA because of well everything. Even if you had the political will and buy in you have skid row in LA and Tenderloin in SF.

It's systematic and tied into fundamentals of the country.

Covids causing my country to go to the cliff edge as well but once again I don't think they can do anything about it because if the fundamentals.

This was 6 months ago.

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

Last 3 months average house price went up $114k, 30% overalll.

 

[Umbran]

But the way suburban sprawl happens seems to be unfixable except on a hypothetical level.

Folks say "surburban sprawl is a problem", without recognizing two things - 1) that "the problem of suburban sprawl" is nto, in fact, one single problem, but a constellation of issues that have been associated with suburban living, many of which are nt so much problems as value judgements, and 2) that any way you try to house tens of millions of people raises issues. Urban sprawl is also a problem. Having everyone housed only in rural areas is also a problem. So, this is glib, poorly defined, and is not specifically an American problem.

There is no way to meet basic needs on the scale of human populations - housing, food, power, clothing - that doesn't raise difficulties. However, difficulties could be mitigated by intelligently chosen modest changes.

Basically you would have to change your society fundamentallu from the ground up. That's not gonna happen anytime soon.

Sorry, Zardnaar - but most of the things people point to as "problems of suburban (or urban) sprawl" are basically legacies of uninformed zoning laws. Update zoning laws with new understanding of urban planning, and the issues will work themselves out over time.

Could you fix it theoretically yes but I put it on par with rewriting your constitution, changing your culture more or less over night

So, if you just drop the entirely unnecessary "overnight" bit that you unilaterally imposed for no discernible reason - and recognize that societal change is a generational thing - the impossibility vanishes in a puff of smoke.

Since you didn't actually define the problem you're speaking of clearly, it is very, very easy to assess the difficulty as beyond reach. Come back with well defined, specific issues, and then maybe we can talk.

 

[Ryujin]

Folks say "surburban sprawl is a problem", without recognizing two things - 1) that "the problem of suburban sprawl" is nto, in fact, one single problem, but a constellation of issues that have been associated with suburban living, many of which are nt so much problems as value judgements, and 2) that any way you try to house tens of millions of people raises issues. Urban sprawl is also a problem. Having everyone housed only in rural areas is also a problem. So, this is glib, poorly defined, and is not specifically an American problem.

There is no way to meet basic needs on the scale of human populations - housing, food, power, clothing - that doesn't raise difficulties. However, difficulties could be mitigated by intelligently chosen modest changes.



Sorry, Zardnaar - but most of the things people point to as "problems of suburban (or urban) sprawl" are basically legacies of uninformed zoning laws. Update zoning laws with new understanding of urban planning, and the issues will work themselves out over time.



So, if you just drop the entirely unnecessary "overnight" bit that you unilaterally imposed for no discernible reason - and recognize that societal change is a generational thing - the impossibility vanishes in a puff of smoke.

Since you didn't actually define the problem you're speaking of clearly, it is very, very easy to assess the difficulty as beyond reach. Come back with well defined, specific issues, and then maybe we can talk.

I'm up to trying arcologies out, so that we can stop converting our best farmland to lawns. They have issues too, but odds are we'd be able to feed people.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm up to trying arcologies out, so that we can stop converting our best farmland to lawns. They have issues too, but odds are we'd be able to feed people.

From what I read, humanity currently produces enough food annually to feed everyone. The root causes of hunger are largely political and logistical. We waste a lot of it by letting it spoil in our refrigerators and pantries. Some spoils because it can’t get to market on time…or profitably. Some food doesn’t get to market because it’s not aesthetically pleasing. Some donated food gets refused, for a variety of reasons, some foolish, some malicious.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'm up to trying arcologies out, so that we can stop converting our best farmland to lawns. They have issues too, but odds are we'd be able to feed people.

Lawns are honestly terrible, invasive things.