Re:Utility monster
by ben_w on Friday May 15, 2020 @08:28AM
(#23191329)
Not in and of themselves, no. They can be, but it isn’t a necessary state.
Even if you assume their wealth is stolen and they do nothing for job creation etc., there is no reason to assume that their gains are correlated with anyone else’s losses.
To be a utility monster, you have to say that the suffering they cause is still a net win specifically because of their pleasure.
I suppose you could say it about budget airlines who nickel-and-dime you for everything and take you to an airport that is “near” your destination in the way that Dublin is “near” Belfast — lots of small irritations causing a small number of people to be very happy.
Even if you assume their wealth is stolen and they do nothing for job creation etc., there is no reason to assume that their gains are correlated with anyone else’s losses.
To be a utility monster, you have to say that the suffering they cause is still a net win specifically because of their pleasure.
I suppose you could say it about budget airlines who nickel-and-dime you for everything and take you to an airport that is “near” your destination in the way that Dublin is “near” Belfast — lots of small irritations causing a small number of people to be very happy.