On 01/12/2014 10:43 AM, Marcus G. Daniels wrote: > The fluid comes with plumbing to control it, of course. Overall, I > agree, those with money have power. I even agree that those that have > the self-control to acquire and control their money probably are > demonstrating rational behavior in doing so, and that there is a another > set of people in the complement that don't have those skills or the > intelligence required. But it is a Just So story to equate the > complement with the incompetent subset in that complement.
Heh, speaking as a member of the complement, I'd like to think that my lack of money does not demonstrate my membership in the incompetent subset of the complement. Rather, I've _chosen_ to maintain a level of spending that is just below my income. (The fact that I had options argues for my rationality in choosing do act "irrationally". ;-) > I would guess the Allocated problem is the main one in the middle > class. It also depends on what you think about `communities' and how > you define them (Those demanding insufferable people that are always in > your face about your every micro-decision and lifestyle choice and that > you try to avoid the best you can.). The allocation might be the > gratuitous loan on the travel trailer or vacation home, but it could > also be the kid's college investment fund, or even a generous donation > given to an charity, for people that _really_ have it bad in Africa. True. And it's the fundamental problem with trying to persuade people to invest in the commons. My argument is largely that, because people's home ownership is a core part of their net worth and financial planning, most of the other allocations are senseless without a sound plan to preserve the value of their homes ... partly by keeping the neighborhood from turning into a bank-owned wasteland, but also partly by preserving any historical value, avoiding "urban renewal" abuse by larger corporations, avoiding narcissistic gated communities, developing parks, walkability, etc. The trouble is that, just like here in this mailing list, there is a short attention span and an unwillingness to follow the rabbit down the hole of infinite detail. Most of my neighbors just don't want to do the boring and painstaking work required.... which makes me want to avoid that work as well. > If > it is too painful to fund the fund, the pain needs to be spread out in > some systematic way with actual government IMO. Before I started participating in this hyper local government (our neighborhood development association - which is a branch of the city, not one of those things property owners are supposed to join and pay dues to), I completely disagreed with you. I assumed anyone who owned a home would be interested in preserving their home's value by investing in the local community. Apparently, I was wrong. There is an energetic subset of those people. But most of them just don't give a damn until they need help. Most will only come to meetings when they have something to bitch about. So, perhaps that's why I'm slowly turning into a liberal. It's time to move... maybe out to Wyoming or somesuch so that I can again call myself "libertarian" with a straight face. -- ⇒⇐ glen ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
