Re:AI and Communism: Narratives of AI Behind the Iron Curtain
by whatshisface on Sunday July 04, 2021 @02:36PM
(#27731669)
Centralized control works out OK in retail because if an evil madman seizes power over Walmart everyone can go to Target instead.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:AI and Communism: Narratives of AI Behind the Iron Curtain
by betwixthewires on Sunday July 04, 2021 @03:01PM
(#27731835)
Yup, this is a very important point to be made. Central planning works very well when there is free association, that is, there is a market for people to pick organizations to associate with. A failure by planners leads to people quitting working there, downsizing, less business, all things that cannot happen in an organization where there's no alternative for people, such as a nation state. There is no low friction feedback mechanism for a state that enables it to reorganize as needed, mainly because we don't get to decide what state we are a citizen of.
Re:AI and Communism: Narratives of AI Behind the Iron Curtain
by dundarious on Sunday July 04, 2021 @03:59PM
(#27732173)
Walmart is arguably already a private unaccountable tyranny that has seized near complete market control in many, many locations. Again, the criticisms and potential solutions cut both ways.
Re:AI and Communism: Narratives of AI Behind the Iron Curtain
by wcarss on Sunday July 04, 2021 @04:20PM
(#27732309)
Interesting. That implies an authoritarian dictatorship is necessary for central planning -- what reason is there that democratically elected representatives cannot operate centralized systems of resource procurement/management/allocation?
Also, aren't Walmart and Amazon technically run democratically by their shareholders? Wouldn't the remedy for a madman running Walmart be a replacement elected by the board?