Here's Where The Balance Gets Tipped

People who think I am a real moron and totally suffering from oppositional defiant disorder regarding authority, especially governments,  tend to think that governments and unions are their unconditionally loving friends, and that they are all about furthering the noble facets of human endeavor.

Maybe there is a shred of truth there.  Mostly, though, I think they get in the way.  I believe energy sources would have advanced much more rapidly without the help of such authorities.  They make doing it yourself illegal in many places. Construction advances are slow to happen because zoning and such tends to spec in the crony pals who write the laws.

The shifty oligarchy types are troublesome, I agree.  How to keep them at bay is probably where we differ.  I firmly believe one way to ensure a more harmonious world is through technology.  But it has to be of the sort that enables the greatest number of people to have comfort and freedom to thrive.  In reality, turning the human race into less of a wretched, pain wracked species and moving toward a great standard of living which continually improves is possible.  Just not very likely.

Depending upon locale, most homes can be built more cheaply and be self sufficient with a combination of strategies at play.  Geo thermal is possible in many areas for cooling and heating since near constant temperatures can be had underground--and not that far in most regions.  Like solar, you use it where practical and it may be mostly for maintaining interior temperature.

Also, with new materials or even recycled, dwellings can be more build into hillsides and such so that they are more protected against extremes of various sorts, including tornadoes.  Seriously, the world of creative new means of construction, inexpensive, easy to assemble mini-homes, modular complexes, all of it should be booming.  Housing should be becoming less expensive from the construction angle, by my thinking.

Just like what I do in my own life, humanity, such as it is, tends to install its own limits and shackle itself for no real good reason.  Maybe people just hate to admit they do not know it all.  I think a lot of scientists have that problem.  They are fine when it all resides in their wheelhouse, then someone discovers more and it changes the status quo. Some would kill to keep new info out of their fields.  It threatens their stature.

Anyway, if you really think there is a genuine crisis, which is due to people wanting a better standard of living, and not caused by small minded and short sighted power lust and greed, then you and I do not think alike.

I know from trying to work with people on developing things that most people will just rush in rather than look at any collateral damage, and try to assess all relevant factors.  That is annoying and can be heartbreaking.  That rush born of misguided ideas regarding free enterprise or capitalism or business, has cost humanity greatly.  It is abusive and irresponsible.  But somehow accepted.

Just look at almost any workplace.  There are multitudes of people who suspend morality every day for a low wage.  For 40k or 25k per year, people will suspend all integrity depending upon what the boss or "corporate" pushes them to do.  I have seen it many times.  And it usually involves not being 100% honest and fair with the customer, or other employees.  Crazy.  I see it everywhere.

There are drawbacks to living in a "Mother may I?" society.  It slows true progress, damages large land areas, promotes poverty and general weirdness.  There you have it.   A lot is possible, but not at this rate.  The reality of the world is--and I know this meets with little accord from most--it is possible for a place like the USA to isolate economically and thrive.  But not under current methods of regulation where government's use of force is used according to which crony outfit is calling the shots.  It is organized and legal crime.  I am not necessarily advocating isolationism, but disagree with those who discount the degree of self sufficiency this country could achieve.

I wonder if taxis will get smart meters, like they use here for the power company.  It would automatically vary the rate according to the intensity of that tenth or sixth or whatever divisions they use of a mile.  So the most intense gets the top rate.  Don't worry about definition of intense. They will take care of deciding that.  What more can you want? It's only fair