stablenode
I wasn't even asking a question about HN, just making a remark.
Given your eloquently put understanding of her philosophy, I doubt that you are interested in digging deeper. But in case I'm wrong, everything is summarised in a short interview with Mike Wallace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHl2PqwRcY0).
b) I said nothing of the sort about the current system in mainland China being 'good', or the CCP being a 'good thing' (I would be the last person to say something like that about a communist party anywhere), so stop putting words in my mouth and don't make it personal. Capitalism has objectively propelled China's economy to where it is now and made it overwhelmingly more prosperous than it was before they tried it.
It isn't better, nor is it worse; it is merely more objective, that's all.
> I wasn't aware we were making economic arguments- after all your original comment ended asking whether it was immoral.
Yes, sorry, that was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but you're quite right on this count. I was simply attempting to rubbish an anti-capitalist argument in the article, but it blew up in my face.
> Perhaps I am too, call it unrealistic or idealistic, for your taste.
That's ok. Who's to say which one of us is 'right'? We can just say that we have profound disagreements about the merits of capitalism as an economic system -- I think that's fair and it shouldn't be a problem in a democracy.
> I'm going to believe people like you overlook problems because they have found or earned enough to have the luxury to.
You believe that if it gives you any comfort. For now, I'll just continue believing that "economics is the study of the use of scarce resources which have alternative uses" and leave it at that.
More importantly -- what are these people of whom you speak doing about improving their condition? Are they demanding a raise? You have my sympathy if you are the one stuck with an unreasonable employer and feel that you are underpaid: my advice would be to look for a new job and tell your employer where to go once you've found one.
However, if you are not in that category -- I have to say that I've never found the altruistic Guardianista (there -- I've said it!) approach to economic problems to be at all credible. It all smacks of some perverse neo-Christian moralising about what's 'fair' and 'good'. You can nearly always tell that an economic argument is lost when people start speaking about morality. If you want to go to Heaven, you're welcome. Me -- I'd rather go to Disneyland : at least it's actually there (besides, I've never been before).
'Thanks @andonceagain (created 29mins ago, karma: 2). I always wondered is the view of the Laptev Sea as depressing as they say?'
Don't be rude - I'm fascinated to know more about the subarctic regions of a wannabe superpower. You can reply from your real account: no shame in it.
In any event, I think this is all getting rather silly. I was simply making the point that historically science in the US has benefited tremendously from having a large number of capable people that were trained within a different system. Where they were born is absolutely irrelevant. A certain W. von Braun was indeed an American, as were his 'major technological advances' that many in the US are rightly proud of, but he was very much a product of German science (I hope you don't find this point controversial).
I find it interesting that actual mathematicians working in Category Theory, such as Tom Leinster (who wrote a lovely little introductory text on Category Theory [not covering monads though] and made it freely available on arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.09375) are able to engage in polite discussion about the contentious viewpoints on the use of CT without resorting to personal attacks (see 2-3 minutes from his talk from a few years back: https://youtu.be/UoutGluNVlI?t=410) ... which stands in sharp contrast to some of the evangelists, whose attitude in response to criticism often reeks of arrogance and puts people off taking CT seriously, which I think is a great shame.
Interesting and totally not ad hominem response... I believe Kevin Buzzard (an actual mathematician) had a few words about this last year: https://youtu.be/Dp-mQ3HxgDE?t=1039