America is Downton Abbey?

[pchang]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wel...ica-2014-02-24

GINI coeff in America is about the same or slightly higher than 1920s England. How do you feel about stuff like this? What was the overall PPP adjusted GDP/person of 1920s England compared to that of America today? Is it better to have 10% of a 15" pie or 20% of a 10" pie?

[Sava]

How do you feel about stuff like this?

The show sucks

and I wouldn't trade living today for living in 1920's England... not in a million years

[pchang]

A Russian poster here told the story of a genie who told a man that he could grant any wish, but that whatever the man received, his neighbor would receive double. After thinking a bit, the man asked, "Put out one of my eyes."

[100% Wolf]

The show sucks

and I wouldn't trade living today for living in 1920's England... not in a million years

I wouldn't trade living today for living in 2020's England...

[Sava]

A Russian poster here told the story of a genie who told a man that he could grant any wish, but that whatever the man received, his neighbor would receive double. After thinking a bit, the man asked, "Put out one of my eyes."

Sounds about right. That's such a slavic thing. I know plenty of old Serbian coots who'd say the same thing.

But couldn't you just tell the genie, "I want double what my neighbor has."

I suppose that could ultimately destroy the universe, though.

[Sava]

I wouldn't trade living today for living in 2020's England...

Indeed.

But maybe for 3020's England... assuming the world doesn't turn into a post-apocalyptic hellscape of some sort.

[100% Wolf]

Sounds about right. That's such a slavic thing. I know plenty of old Serbian coots who'd say the same thing.

But couldn't you just tell the genie, "I want double what my neighbor has."

I suppose that could ultimately destroy the universe, though.

No, you and your neighbor would just have nothing.

[100% Wolf]

Indeed.

But maybe for 3020's England... assuming the world doesn't turn into a post-apocalyptic hellscape of some sort.

Enjoy your Sharia.

[Sava]

No, you and your neighbor would just have nothing.

That doesn't seem right. If I say "I want double what my neighbor has", the genie would grant me two of everything they own (all assets)... but then the neighbor would get four times what they have... and I'd then get twice that (assuming the wish dynamically updates).

Then it'd just spiral out of control... 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, etc... eventually, the exponential growth would start to rival the mass of the planet, then solar system, then galaxy, then universe.

It's basically a giant black hole.

[100% Wolf]

That doesn't seem right. If I say "I want double what my neighbor has", the genie would grant me two of everything they own (all assets)... but then the neighbor would get four times what they have... and I'd then get twice that (assuming the wish dynamically updates).

Then it'd just spiral out of control... 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, etc... eventually, the exponential growth would start to rival the mass of the planet, then solar system, then galaxy, then universe.

It's basically a giant black hole.

If you both have nothing then you each have double what the other has. 2x0=0. The genie only has to ensure that the statements "I have double what my neighbor has" and "my neighbor has double what I have" are literally true in order for him to say the wish has been granted.

[Sava]

But both my and my neighbors live in a rich, white bred suburb. And even a homeless person has possessions... the clothes they are wearing, for instance. Even ratty, old homeless person clothes is valuable in significant quantities. It's just a question of turning that resource into something more valuable... I could recycle the clothes into insulation for homes, for example.

[100% Wolf]

He could take your life. Then you'd have NOTHING

[Sava]

No. I'd have twice of my life... doubled ad infinitum

[100% Wolf]

No, you'd have twice what your neighbor has, and he'd be dead too.

[Sava]

I don't know how you came to this conclusion, but it is incorrect.