You've strawmanned me. I'm saying that choosing the "best" places and not stewarding the shared spaces is a form of neglect of shared public goods, public goods that otherwise lead to a strong society that a kid might someday inherit. Some ppl don't just choose the best school, because they think it's best for their individual family unit. Neglect is multi-scalar -- something can be neglect at one level, and care at another. Different families value different scales of concern in their family life

North Americans (esp Americans) tend to not see it that way. Collectivist cultures kinda assume it's a no-brainer, in my experience. Your attempt at painting this as "obvious" and worthy of satirising, that feels kinda misdirected

fair point. the true society self-organizes at each level to cooperate with itself. they avoid tragic outcomes by noticing the coordination traps that lead to them, and then not doing that.

i disagree that one must be subject to the rotten institutions in order to care about or fix them. but this is a disagreement of method, not of result.

i agree that seeking only the "best" can be a status-treadmill coordination trap. i turn away from this as well.

i have a strong distaste when "cooperation" is imposed from without. it is unstable. (does your collectivism rely on shared goals and reflective understanding? or is it enforced by artificially raising the cost of defection?)

agreed that i responded not quite to your comment as written. apologies.