Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes
by kryogen1c on Thursday August 27, 2020 @01:08PM
(#24295840)
> This is a classic problem with power; it’s not uncommon for people in power to confuse what’s good for the country with their own self interest
This is a nonsense statement. Power is an inherently valuable resource. It is axiomatic. If you're a leaf in the wind you dont do anyone any good, or do anything at all by definition. Everything ever done in any capacity was done by someone with power.
The problem is also not self-interest, although its closer - the problem is alignment of incentives. Public agencies like FEMA do not receive feedback from the systems they manage (apartments dont tweet when they are saved from hurricanes) and they do not get rewarded for doing a good job. Public agencies result in a lowest-common-denominator of everyone doing what they can to not get yelled at and fired. A natural thought for such an agency would be to ignore/minimize the public's power so the employees are free to do good, but this obviously frees them to do not-good as well.
I have been ruminating on this paradox of democracy. How do we stop ourselves from ruining ourselves if thats what we want? (Representative) democracy is clearly not universally appropriate, but it is pretty good. Free markets dont serve well where people arent actively involved to properly create the market need, so thats probably out.
Can i interest anyone in a politics as a service think tank?
This is a nonsense statement. Power is an inherently valuable resource. It is axiomatic. If you're a leaf in the wind you dont do anyone any good, or do anything at all by definition. Everything ever done in any capacity was done by someone with power.
The problem is also not self-interest, although its closer - the problem is alignment of incentives. Public agencies like FEMA do not receive feedback from the systems they manage (apartments dont tweet when they are saved from hurricanes) and they do not get rewarded for doing a good job. Public agencies result in a lowest-common-denominator of everyone doing what they can to not get yelled at and fired. A natural thought for such an agency would be to ignore/minimize the public's power so the employees are free to do good, but this obviously frees them to do not-good as well.
I have been ruminating on this paradox of democracy. How do we stop ourselves from ruining ourselves if thats what we want? (Representative) democracy is clearly not universally appropriate, but it is pretty good. Free markets dont serve well where people arent actively involved to properly create the market need, so thats probably out.
Can i interest anyone in a politics as a service think tank?