• @reversedposterior
    3•2 days ago

    There is no problem… in theory. You can show mathematically that profit maximisation and utility maximisation can distribute goods effectively. In theory, on paper, where everyone follows the rules and so on. That’s true with any system really.

    Often, when you solve these models in economics, you implicitly make the assumption of ‘benevolent dictator’. You need someone outside the system that has nothing to gain by interfering in the system, that can move stuff around at will, that regulates every single agent/firm to behave in ways only permitted by the system etc.

    The problem is humans are human. None of these things work if someone decides to not play by the rules. People can blame the system sure, but if the system isn’t even being employed properly in the first place, I think it’s the wrong argument to be having. It’s a bit like ignoring or modifying half the rules of a board game and then saying the game is broken because it leads to weird outcomes.

    • 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍
      1•2 days ago

      That’s a bold assertion, and I’m not even sure what it’s supposed to mean.

      Are you saying happiness, health, equality, and justice are quantifiable? Because economics plays an enormous factor in all of these, and ignoring them ignores the most important factors.

      But, I agree with you about the theory vs practice part. It’s why I don’t think Communism can work: because - I believe - humans are fundamentally selfish. It’s natural for us to care about ourselves. It’s easy for us to care about our tribe. It’s hard for us to care about our greater, regional community, and it’s really hard for us to care about the entire world. Every time the group gets larger, then the more one has to sacrifice things that benefits only themselves, and the more selfless people have to be. Functional Communism requires people are selfless, to give up immediate self-benefit for people they don’t even know. I think, evolutionarily, we haven’t gotten there yet.

      Capitalism “won” because all it requires is people to be selfish, and that’s easy. There is no better evidence for this than Atlas Shrugged, a story about thee justification of being selfish.