If it’s representing value produced by a population, and that population is both growing in numbers and finding ways for each person to be more productive, it makes sense for the index to go up. The current drop in stock markets is not related to either population decline nor to some widespread productivity hit, meaning sustainability isn’t the problem at hand.
Deep in human history, staying in good graces with our tribe was more important to survival than having beliefs be factual. We are genetically hardwired to pull whatever mental gymnastics are required to maintain membership in the tribe, because our ancestors who failed at that died before passing on their genes. It’s not really stupidity or incompetence, it’s an operating system property.
Fair, thanks for replying. I suspect I am much more worried about deteriorating conditions than you, and that different risk/benefit weighting leads me to different conclusions, but it’s helpful to hear other lines of thinking.
Also, your serious replies prompted me to comment-stalk you a little, and led me to a few interesting conversations the lemmy algorithm had not otherwise shown me, so thanks for that, too!
The politics aspect is much more driven by identity and social group than by sunk cost or refusal to have buyer’s remorse. A singular respected leader can turn the ship - churches and pastors were critical in the US civil rights movement, for example - but groups can be more nebulous without a particular leadership structure, like how difficult it is for people to leave Twitter: even though most users agree the experience has significantly degraded, there is no critical mass agreed on a replacement.
The more nebulous groups can break up - Twitter’s engagement is declining - it’s just slow. Maybe years or decades slow to get to the point it’s no longer one of the dominant social media. So I guess keeping the social connections open (giving someone who wants to make a major change an option to still have a friend or family member who will talk to them after), and patience.
Medical cost-to-value and care availability in the US is horrible. The baby steps toward lesser horrid like not allowing denial of insurance due to preexisting conditions barely scratch the surface.
If you are comfortable sharing (I know conversations on the internet can go unproductively negative fast, and engagement is often not worthwhile), do you expect to see costs like medical and grocery get better while Trump is President? If so, are you expecting to see that benefit this year, or for it to take a few years?
We’re all operating on the same human operating system, yes. Would be nice if we could figure out how to sand down some of the sharp corners, though.
Worked at the United States Digital Service (USDS) before it was renamed doge and had its priorities completely rewritten. Maybe half were laid off, and then 21 resigned in protest. So 45-ish people left from the agency’s previous incarnation.
Using the original meaning of a word and not chasing off on the euphemism treadmill is hardly shifting to the right.