[extropy-chat] economics, scarcity, and plenty

[David Lubkin]

Jef Allbright wrote:

>But what happens when the conditions of our environment improve to the
>level that our basic needs are met?
>         :
>It's still the same scale, but the focus is changed to better match
>the environment, and the nature of the actions reflect that change.
>As others have pointed out, we will still compete:  for attention,
>mind-share, more successful ideas winning over those less successful,
>but the focus will be qualitatively and substantially different.

Part of what's being ignored in this iteration of a perennial thread 
is that our concept of "basic needs" has changed throughout human 
history and will continue to do so.

Is the need for food or for parasite-free, non-rancid food? Is health 
care a need? At what level of care? Not dying in childbirth due to 
sepsis or not dying ever? Clothing? Education? Enough warmth at night 
to not freeze, not shiver, or sleep comfortably?

Economics will both describe our interaction over all Maslovian 
levels in an MNT future and the continued material scarcity in such 
an existence. Natasha wants to transform Iapetus into a sculpture but 
Amara hasn't finished studying it. Robert wants to add on to his 
Matrioshka brain while Keith wants to send out a quintillion or so 
copies of himself to explore the universe.


-- David.