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b_b  ·  3725 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Should the government pay you to be alive?

    What I see in global brain is a world of abundance.

Considering that in the US we grow about 4500 (give or take) calories per person per day, I think we already have a world of abundance. What we don't have is a world of sensible distribution. According to a book I recently read, up to 30% of some types of crops are thrown out summarily for the simple reason that they don't look right (for example, green beans that are too short, or bent, or too dark in color, but otherwise are perfectly fine to eat), so grocery stores refuse to stock them. Instead of offering them to us at a cheaper price, they simply decide that we don't get to choose. That's kinda fucked, but we don't need any new technology to fix it; we only need some changes to the way we do business.

Same thing with unemployment. I would love to see some kind of return to the WPA or CCC, or anything like it. My home city is a trash nightmare. There's litter all over the place. The government has plenty of cash to simply pay unemployed people $10 or $12 per hour to pick up garbage, keep vacant lots well manicured, or any other neighborhood improvement project. That would solve a pile of problems in cities. Again, no new tech required, just new policy.

We have the tools and the resources right now to solve a lot of social problems. We just have to decide that it's a priority.