Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
worth pointing out that this is an issue Musk has a very personal chip on his shoulder about. that might or might not have something to do with Trump’s motivation to take it up.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
i assume your mooting that as an implication of the position i’m attributing to Smith. i don’t want to speak for Smith, don’t think he’d agree with the claim you offer, but i don’t think he’d agree with himself in this piece if he weren’t tendentiously minimizing the hazard Musk presents.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
wouldn’t a dark enlightenment be an endarkenment?
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
there is this theory, almost Rousseauian, although everybody disclaims this aspect of Rousseau, that the popular will is prior and independent of institutional circumstances, so no matter who owns the presses or how elaborately the campaigns are financed, the electorate will do its own will. 1/
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
i find that absurd and ridiculous, there is no “popular will” independent of institutions that constitute it, which include electoral institutions and “the press”. 2/
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
but if you buy the absurd and ridiculous claim, it doesn’t matter if every tweet is from Elon, the populus ultimately overcomes any information problems (in economicsese we might say has perfect information), and would only be affected by Elon’s machinations if it is persuaded on the merits. 3/
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
while we are discussing 18th C French intellectuals, in addition to Rousseau we might tip a hat to Voltaire, and his Dr. Pangloss. /fin
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
i’m a bit skeptical that’s what this billionaire-headed enterprise will do.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
yup. you’d need to be serious about it, not use taxation as a chokepoint from which you can sell loopholes.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
so who does God Emperor Musk favor to become the next Senator from Florida?
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
yes. i think it is a new thing we have to collectively understand, that the distribution of wealth and income is a matter of public concern, it determines in large part what kind of society we live in, so yes we tax to prevent the emergence of too rich (and spend to prevent too poor).
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
📌
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
(you may do whatever you like and i’d be honored, with or without attribution.)
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
more taxation, less murder.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
(now imagining joe lieberman with a hammer in his hand, out-mining a steam drill.)
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
the new joe hill.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
so Musk and all he’s doing is just fine with you? he’s just spending it.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
yes. elections are just particularly visible. persuading the judiciary that “law and economics” was just the true and rational basis for adjudication, persuading the public that “critical race theory” is a meaningful source of their woes, all of this is downstream from money buying social power.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
there was. now we are finding out.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
in general, we should recognize that taxation for people with income in the millions, wealth in the tens of millions (let alone billions) should be quite different than taxation of the bottom 99.9% reforms to address the former ought not touch the latter.
Steve Randy Waldman
@interfluidity.com
i guess i’m wondering whether our current experience of far from civilized society, for those of us with anything like democratic ideals, is engendering some more agreement.