New Study from Berkeley: Rich people lie, cheat and steal 4x more than poor people.

Brendan:

1. The only thing exceeding the growth in population is the growth in automation.

Automation has been going on since the industrial revolution started in about 1750. It raises productivity and output per person, and thus living standards. This is a good thing, not a bad one. Prior to 1750 the living standard of the average person was essentially that same as in Roman times 2,000 years beforehand. Since 1750 per-capita income doubled roughly every generation. That's why we have houses, food, cars, etc.

Brendan:

2. Artificial Scarcity is collapsing, and with it will go many large industries.

Rubbish. Land, labour and capital are all still finite. And this scarcity isn't artificial, it's real.

Brendan:

3. The concentration of wealth IS the concentration of power; and it is simply impossible to maintain resulting in catastrophic failure.

First point, probably. Second point - why and what's the basis of this claim?

Brendan:

4. People are increasingly unsatisfied with the status quo.

Which is why the Government's poll rating is collapsing and outward migration to Australia is surging. Oh, wait.......

Brendan:

5. The monetary system could qualify as Game Theory: except the game is rigged.

How so?

Brendan:

National has no idea how to fix any of those. Labour is no better. I have little idea on what the Greens think on it. But it's fair to say National and Labour will turn to "business as usual" models, with the same, broken, results.

Actually, both National and Labour seem to have ideas. Whether either or us agree with them is a different matter, but they certainly have them. The Nats package pretty clear from the last budget. Doubtless Labour will pull a package together before the election. Whether they will work or not remains to be seen. As for the Greens ...... while I sympathise with many of their environmental aims, their whole approach to economics seems just plain daft to me. Too high on lentil-content and too low on credible analysis.

nate

gzt

JimmyH