tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post104217080805484431..comments2023-10-06T06:29:02.689-04:00Comments on A Bright Cape: A bright futureSkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10723733406348223879noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-40560590658816829982011-08-16T20:57:49.702-04:002011-08-16T20:57:49.702-04:00Excellent!
You should all post countries and da...Excellent! <br /><br />You should all post countries and dates, by the way.<br /><br />I choose 2011, but I don't know exactly which country. New Zealand has fantastic weather, Scandinavian countries have great policies... but I do like Canada and it seems like a pretty safe bet. Not sure.Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10723733406348223879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-34742553049363962011-08-16T20:56:27.152-04:002011-08-16T20:56:27.152-04:00I've spent a lot of time there too and my impr...I've spent a lot of time there too and my impression was that things were pretty good for the average Singaporean. <br /><br />Looking at wikipedia a bit, inequality is about at the US level but purchasing power is rather higher (3rd in the world behind Qatar and Luxembourg, which come to think of it sounds like a good choice too). Top notch public health, education and transit, low crime, etc. Running a country the size of a postage stamp isn't rocket surgery, I think they're a good long term bet.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00895097052467340104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-41227503098157025932011-08-16T20:24:18.886-04:002011-08-16T20:24:18.886-04:00New Zealand. 1980.New Zealand. 1980.Momnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-37586364314148957602011-08-16T18:51:17.372-04:002011-08-16T18:51:17.372-04:00I dunno... I've spent a lot of time in Singap...I dunno... I've spent a lot of time in Singapore, and unless you're in the top 5% it's pretty awful. <br /> <br />If the question were "if you could choose any year and country to be born as a random rich white ex-pat, what would you choose?", I'd totally agree.Corporate Plunderernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-58681343770875491032011-08-16T16:02:24.561-04:002011-08-16T16:02:24.561-04:00Singapore.Singapore.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00895097052467340104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-84285218034917566582011-08-16T15:19:10.008-04:002011-08-16T15:19:10.008-04:00@Sthenno:
Ditto. Norway is tempting, but a g...@Sthenno: <br /> <br />Ditto. Norway is tempting, but a good argument could be made for Sweden. Once you're in the region it's a little arbitrary.Corporate Plunderernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-22654921917483288202011-08-16T13:59:57.400-04:002011-08-16T13:59:57.400-04:00I'm picking a Scandinavian country for sure.I'm picking a Scandinavian country for sure.Sthennohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429676469805661834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-75041866780137972772011-08-16T12:40:34.679-04:002011-08-16T12:40:34.679-04:00I specifically didn't allow choosing future da...I specifically didn't allow choosing future dates because it is hard enough to figure out what the next 80 years will be like - I find it hard to imagine that choosing 2176 over 2289 would be any kind of informed choice. Once you are already choosing the unknown I don't see much argument for going further.<br /><br />I agree that the world isn't perfect and that there is still regular discrimination against many groups. However, discrimination is way, way down and your options for being accepted are way, way up. Things are getting better though, which is basically my whole point.<br /><br />I agree that choosing country is important. Everyone I asked so far was born in Canada (I think?) and so we used that as a reference point. Choosing other countries changes the answers to some extent of course since some of them have had really bad things happen at particular times. I like Canada as an example because there haven't been any particular events that would cause you to choose a certain date - the graph is pretty predictable.Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10723733406348223879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1086764876629036045.post-29740524256819583982011-08-16T12:18:40.684-04:002011-08-16T12:18:40.684-04:00Are people not allowed to answer this question wit...Are people not allowed to answer this question with dates in the future? Or is that cheating? <br /> <br /> <br />The dominant factor would seem to be healthcare; even in the 50's infant mortality was an order of magnitude greater than it is now. ((ref:)[http://goo.gl/GR3HV]) Go back further and it's more than a little terrifying. Perhaps if you have a large appetite for risk you could roll those dice, but I wouldn't. <br /> <br />Another risk-related aspect of this question is not just the overall quality of life of a particular era, but also class equity. As you've pointed out yourself, being much less prosperous than your peers is much more relevant to a random person's happiness than absolute measures thereof. <br /> <br />Finally, I think the suggestion that growing up after 1950 protects one from discrimination is a bit optimistic. Even in our generation many marginalized groups face massive systemic and social discrimination on a daily basis. Fewer lynchings, certainly; but a far cry from equality. Still, it says a lot that a future where race and orientation have no bearing on one's life is even conceivable. <br /> <br /> <br />A way to game this question which leaps out at me is the choice of country. Being able to choose to be a random person in, say, Norway, significantly improves one's overall odds for a lot of the reasons listed above.Corporate Plunderernoreply@blogger.com