Scott Alexander examines the justification for billionaire wealth, introducing the concept of replaceability to challenge the standard neoliberal defense. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of billionaire wealth and its justification, starting with the neoliberal defense that entrepreneurs create value and deserve a portion of it. He then introduces a counterargument based on replaceability: if an entrepreneur hadn't existed, someone else would likely have filled that economic niche eventually. This leads to the conclusion that while innovators deserve compensation for accelerating progress, they may not deserve the entire surplus value created by their innovations. The post discusses how this perspective complicates the moral and economic arguments around billionaire wealth and taxation, without providing a clear solution. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Just Giving' by Rob Reich, criticizing its arguments against philanthropy by showing how they could also be used to condemn book-writing. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Rob Reich's book 'Just Giving', which critically examines philanthropy's role in democracy. Scott finds the book's arguments troubling, as they could be applied to condemn any productive activity. He demonstrates this by rewriting sections of the book, replacing 'charity' with 'books', showing how the same logic could make book-writing seem undemocratic and problematic. While Scott agrees with some of Reich's points, he finds the overall tone and implications concerning. The review highlights the book's data on charitable giving patterns and its conclusion that philanthropy can diversify represented interests and allow for social policy experimentation. However, Scott criticizes the book's tendency to 'darkly hint' at philanthropy being bad, even while ultimately concluding it can serve a useful purpose. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Against The Grain', which argues that early grain agriculture and state formation were detrimental to human welfare and mainly benefited emerging state powers. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews James Scott's book 'Against The Grain', which argues that the rise of grain agriculture and early states was not a positive development for human welfare. The book contends that pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer societies were often more prosperous and healthier, and that grain cultivation mainly benefited emerging state powers by making populations easier to tax and control. Scott discusses how early states were fragile, how 'barbarians' were often former state subjects who escaped, and how warfare was largely about capturing labor. The review concludes by noting that while some of these ideas aren't entirely new, Scott's analysis of grain's role in state-building is particularly insightful. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews analyses of various UBI plans, finding most unrealistic, then speculates on alternative approaches to implement UBI successfully. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses various Universal Basic Income (UBI) plans analyzed by Tumblr user squareallworthy. Most plans fail due to unrealistic funding schemes or insufficient amounts to lift people out of poverty. Scott then speculates on potential UBI implementations, suggesting a targeted approach focusing on poverty elimination through increased taxes on the wealthy. He also proposes a gradual implementation strategy tied to GDP growth, starting with a small amount and increasing over time. Shorter summary

Scott updates his stance on marijuana legalization based on new data showing increased traffic accidents, but remains uncertain due to the complexity of the issue. Longer summary

Scott Alexander revisits his previous analysis of marijuana legalization, focusing on its effects on road traffic accidents. New studies show a 5-6% increase in car crashes and fatalities in states with legalized marijuana, contradicting his earlier prediction of a decrease. This shifts his assessment from slightly positive to slightly negative. However, he emphasizes the weakness of the math and the many assumptions involved. The post also considers other factors like people's enjoyment of marijuana, its comparison to alcohol and SSRIs, potential cancer risks, and tax implications. Scott concludes without a firm position, acknowledging the complexity of the issue. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares and comments on key passages from Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century', discussing historical economic trends and their modern implications. Longer summary

This post is a collection of passages highlighted by Scott Alexander in his reading of Thomas Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century'. Scott provides commentary on various economic and historical insights from the book, including the failure of past economic predictions, the role of inheritance in society, the history of taxation and public debt, and how wealth inequality has changed over time. He draws parallels between Piketty's observations and rationalist thinking, and reflects on how these historical economic trends relate to modern society and politics. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reposts his 'Non-Libertarian FAQ' critiquing libertarian philosophy and arguments, noting it no longer fully reflects his current views. Longer summary

This post is a reposting of Scott Alexander's 'Non-Libertarian FAQ' (aka 'Why I Hate Your Freedom'), which he wrote about 5 years prior. The FAQ aims to provide a comprehensive critique of libertarian philosophy and arguments. It covers economic issues like externalities and market failures, social issues like social mobility and taxation, political issues like government competence and specific policy areas, and moral issues around rights and consequentialism. The author notes that this version no longer fully reflects his current views and is being reposted by popular request and for historical interest. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the concept of infinite debts in personal and societal contexts, proposing a practical approach of paying manageable 'interest' rather than attempting full repayment. Longer summary

This post explores the concept of infinite debts and their implications in personal relationships and society. Scott starts with an anecdote about a patient wanting her son to take care of her, then extends this to societal obligations. He discusses the problems with both accepting infinite debts and denying them entirely. The post concludes by suggesting a practical middle ground: paying a manageable 'interest' on these debts without trying to clear them entirely. Scott uses examples like caring for elderly parents, societal obligations, and charitable giving to illustrate his points. Shorter summary

The post details the economic and relationship systems of Raikoth, a fictional society designed to optimize for goodness and weirdness. Longer summary

This post describes two aspects of Raikoth, a fictional society: its economics and relationships. The economic system is based on a basic income guarantee with minimal government intervention, using a basket of taxes including land taxes, estate taxes, and taxes on large corporations. The relationship system involves an annual festival called Temion Mirun, where a computer algorithm matches people for year-long 'handfastings'. These can lead to more permanent marriages with various contract options. The author notes that this society is designed to optimize for goodness while erring on the side of weirdness, in contrast to real-world approaches that prioritize safety. Shorter summary