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A comment on Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government bankruptcy. Parent comment

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by Terr_ on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:57PM (#14260554)
From a ruthlessly clinical evolutionary game-theory perspective... It's also that someone who spreads their genes by creating a child is obtaining a kind of "asset" for themselves, one which society can't transfer and won't morally destroy in retribution.

If A and B both invest in, say, a house, and B disappears leaving debts behind, at least A can sell the house and B isn't getting any ongoing utility from it.

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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by klipt on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @06:07PM (#14260641)
If that were the issue we'd throw parents who give their kids up for adoption in debtors' prisons too.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by cmdrfred on Thursday May 04, 2017 @07:54AM (#14264121)
There is value in spreading genes, but also in spreading memes. The biological patents give the former, the adoptive parents give the latter. As this is an agreement that all parties consent to and it has consideration for all involved and say its a valid system.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by zepto on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @06:17PM (#14260730)
Assets provide return on investment. Children do not. Using this term just muddies the water.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by gertef on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @07:56PM (#14261324)
The only investment a human can make is in their genetic future. Everything else (money, power) is in service of that.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by EliRivers on Thursday May 04, 2017 @11:51AM (#14265773)
I'm not convinced. I make investments in the hope that I will end up getting back from it more than I started with; ideally by enough of a margin to cover the time I had to wait.

My genetic future isn't any kind of investment. I'm never seeing any return on that.

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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by Firadeoclus on Friday May 05, 2017 @05:48AM (#14272235)
Your "genetic future" immediately gets diluted and is barely recognizable after a few generations. A memetic legacy can last much longer.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by jpttsn on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @11:07PM (#14262115)
You might as well say the only investment any human can make is in producing excess heat in the universe.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by pharrlax on Thursday May 04, 2017 @12:01AM (#14262352)
Technically, producing excess heat is the only thing we ever do
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by zepto on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @08:41PM (#14261546)
If that were true, men who donated to sperm banks would feel like their lives were complete.
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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by jacobush on Thursday May 04, 2017 @07:26AM (#14264034)
Why?
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