Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Some economic thoughts I always bring up in such discussions.

- There is much economic activity that comes from increasing inefficiency, think cost disease, this is a feature not a bug in a system straining to maintain full employment at all costs that is increasingly managed in a top-down manner

- queueing theory probably explains most monetary policy, as inflation gas pedal is feathered to make historically large debts look like speed bumps in the rear view they do the same to buying power but the inverse to assets, keeping this process slow enough but not too slow probably has something to do with avg human lifespan

- no empire lasts forever and usually exhaust their hinterland expansion efforts for various reasons ultimately debasing the currency to mfg more growth while the fundamental drivers are long gone, what is the hinterland for our empire and how much more of it can we exploit?

- During the Black Plague something like 1/3 of Europe died off, this gave rise to a new wealthy class of inheritors laying some foundations for the Renaissance, we are on the edge of a historic population decline as birth rates plunge across the world, will we see a similar effect, or does this only work when lives are cut short?




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: