Re: a to-do list for the next century

From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Sun Mar 26 2000 - 17:56:53 MST


GBurch1@aol.com wrote:

> > One project is to convince one relatively rich economy
> > somewhere to completely open its borders to immigration,
> ...
> While I think this a great idea, I think it falls into the "fat chance!"
> category.

I won't argue with that.

> OK - I'll bite: Tell me about "futarchy".

Peter McCluskey and I were discussing it here on extropians underthe subject
"Voting and Idea Futures." My motto is "vote on values;
bet on beliefs." Some sort of legislature creates some souped up
measure, like GDP, and then the rule of government is that whenever
a betting market says that some choice will improve this GDP+,
that choice must be made.

> But over-all amounts spent on space technology and exploration are

> relatively low on a societal scale, and at a certain level, don't you think

> people should do things just because it's COOL?

Sure, that's fine. But most space advocates seem to imply that spending
on space now will somehow bring closer the day when there is a big
economy in space. And that image does seem to motivate people.
That's what I'm saying isn't going to happen.



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