[ExI] well, that stuff really is expensive

[spike at rainier66.com]

From: Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [ExI] well, that stuff really is expensive

 

On Thu, Oct 22, 2026 at 7:18 AM spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org <mailto:extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> > wrote:

 

snip

>>… the voters chose him twice because they see in him a reliable socialism fighter. spike

 

 

>…I really doubt that. An EP model indicates that irrational leaders become attractive in the lead up to wars. The lead up to wars is triggered by a bleak outlook for the population. Consider where MAGA is most popular and it fits this model. Incidentally, absolute economic collapse is not required, just an outlook that is worse than what people are used to.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we divide the country into rural and urban, we note a very different attitude.  We urban types (likely nearly everyone here) think of growth as essential.  If we don’t see at least about 5% growth in our portfolio every year, we consider that year slow.  If it is 0% that is a failure.  Any negative percentage a catastrophe.  We are growth oriented.

 

Consider rural people.  I see no evidence they are focused on growth.  In very general terms, they have little in stock portfolios, they don’t tend to have a lot of savings and investments.  They tend to have equipment and fertile land (whether or not it is under cultivation, they have it.)

 

Everywhere I went in Appalachia, I saw people who have little by the way we measure it: their net worth is very low, because their land value is low.  But they are cool with 0% growth.  If they are getting by, well good enough.  They are doing as their fathers, great grandfathers, great great great grandfathers did on that land going way back.  I saw no outward indications of a bleak outlook.  On the contrary, I saw optimism.

 

But I see plenty of bleak outlook in cities, plenty.

 

Then something important occurred to me.  In those Appalachian regions, things change only very slowly if they ever change at all.  People who are born there who are dissatisfied with pokey old country life leave.  My grandparents did, and my parents subsequently opted for faster lane.  I opted for still faster lane, and if I could find one faster than this one, I am outta here.  So what if… this shapes a culture: people who want life in the fast lane go there, concentrating fast laners in the big cities, particularly the go-go high investment cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, Austin TX, Miami, etc.  Some born in those hustle-your-ass cities want a slower life.  So they go to rural America to live.

 

Repeat the cycle several generations.  The hyperactives (me for instance) leave the pokey places and move to more hyper places, and breed hyper children.  The pokey places are left with those more likely to breed pokey children.  Unnatural selection in action.  After a few generations, those who live in pokey places are content with slow growth.  Those of us who opted for life in the fast lane want more more more faster faster faster.  

 

That model has nothing to do with EP, but rather attitude toward change.

 

spike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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