Things that went whizzing by that I want to remember... First: Best Recent SubStack Post I Have Read: Nicole Barbaro: EdTech Can’t Forget That Humans Evolved to be Social: ‘A fundamental limitation to online and remote learning: students are missing the social experience….
John Stoehr's piece is really important. What he doesn't go on to say is that if and when we use the word "fascist" in print or conversation, we need to define it, just as he does so succinctly, to make clear it's not just a nasty label for the folks you don't like. We probably need to add "fascist sympathizer" as a commonly-used term for those who, at least publicly, denounce violence and repression, but who go out of their way to support or abet those who are obviously fascists. This would include Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, and that weird guy who painted himself blue to join the Jan. 6 insurrection.
"‘The data bear out the general sense that the real-world utility of new technology has fallen far short of the hype. Labor… has risen only about half as fast since 2007 as it did in the generation after World War II. "
I think it depends on what you are measuring. GDP was good when it measured commodities output, like wheat and coal. It gets much more complex when it applies to technology. One thing that should be obvious to anyone who works in any tech capacity is that there are a lot more people doing quantitative analysis and testing using IT than there use to be. Quality has not only improved in making cars work better and parts fit better, but in design, making sure there are no likely failures, etc, etc. All this has been aided by technology that does not necessarily go into the price. If ICT also helps to reduce externality costs, isn't that a good, but unmeasured, thing?
Another thing is that technology also reduced GDP. Word processors remove the typing pool, ATMs remove the need for bank tellers. Most of us old fogies can recall a living when trying to do much-required lots of specialist employment. ICT has reduced that. Sitting at my desk I can do a lot of things that once took time and the employment of people and the manufacture of stuff. I would argue that technology has proven to have huge utility, but it doesn't show up in crude GDP figures.
Worrying about GDP seems increasingly like wealthy people worrying about their wealth compared to other people, rather than those people trying to enjoy a better life. Perhaps it is time to retire the focus on this measure and focus on other measures of wellbeing?
Your Marco Rubio/GOP fundraising analysis is 🔥
John Stoehr's piece is really important. What he doesn't go on to say is that if and when we use the word "fascist" in print or conversation, we need to define it, just as he does so succinctly, to make clear it's not just a nasty label for the folks you don't like. We probably need to add "fascist sympathizer" as a commonly-used term for those who, at least publicly, denounce violence and repression, but who go out of their way to support or abet those who are obviously fascists. This would include Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, and that weird guy who painted himself blue to join the Jan. 6 insurrection.
"‘The data bear out the general sense that the real-world utility of new technology has fallen far short of the hype. Labor… has risen only about half as fast since 2007 as it did in the generation after World War II. "
I think it depends on what you are measuring. GDP was good when it measured commodities output, like wheat and coal. It gets much more complex when it applies to technology. One thing that should be obvious to anyone who works in any tech capacity is that there are a lot more people doing quantitative analysis and testing using IT than there use to be. Quality has not only improved in making cars work better and parts fit better, but in design, making sure there are no likely failures, etc, etc. All this has been aided by technology that does not necessarily go into the price. If ICT also helps to reduce externality costs, isn't that a good, but unmeasured, thing?
Another thing is that technology also reduced GDP. Word processors remove the typing pool, ATMs remove the need for bank tellers. Most of us old fogies can recall a living when trying to do much-required lots of specialist employment. ICT has reduced that. Sitting at my desk I can do a lot of things that once took time and the employment of people and the manufacture of stuff. I would argue that technology has proven to have huge utility, but it doesn't show up in crude GDP figures.
Worrying about GDP seems increasingly like wealthy people worrying about their wealth compared to other people, rather than those people trying to enjoy a better life. Perhaps it is time to retire the focus on this measure and focus on other measures of wellbeing?