Form: Short Note

CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS

A friend says to me yesterday “I begin to understand how different we are from Americans. You have time to think of silly things. … there are many crazy americans. We have no time here. We work to survive. We are always busy.”

I say, “Yes, you are poor, but you still struggle. Americans have the luxury of time. Others have time but do not struggle. But I am not sure that your way is not better. People are not crazy and lonely here. Most americans by contrast seem crazy and lonely. And a lot of Japanese seem crazy and lonely. A lot of western europeans are crazy and lonely. Because wealth makes it possible to think ideologically rather than empirically – practically. This is why I am struggling with the question of redistribution and contribution to the commons. If all we buy is signals, and all we do with those signals is destroy mind, happiness and family, then how does that square with liberty?”

America’s favorite sport is status signaling by political moralism. Ukrainian’s favorite sport is simple celebration with family and friends.

I am sorry but these folk do it better. If they had better commons they would have a better world than we do. In no small part because they are homogenous as hell despite being from dozens of different balto-slavic-german tribes, they are one people.

After 60k income (5K per month) you do not get happier. It’s just what it is. the rest is buying retirement, affording a house too expensive for the underclasses, and a car to insulate yourself from them within.

So why don’t we just make it easier to insulate yourself from the underclasses? Would that increase tolerance for contribution to the commons?

I think so. Evidence sure looks like it.