Technology
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Venmo, The Public Version
As Vice reports, New York lawmakers want to create a “public Venmo.” Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, allows users to make person-to-person payments. Under the proposal, New York State would build and operate its own Venmo-like payments platform. What problems would a public Venmo solve? In his original proposal, law professor Robert Hockett mentions…
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Alternative Non-State Forms of Governance
For many problems, though, non-profits have trumped governments and for-profits, including mutuals. People need to remember the non-profit option before turning to governments or for-profits for aid.
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Where are the Flying Cars?
We have good planes, good helicopters, good drones, and good cars. In the end, maybe they just need to be different things, for a while longer.
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Manual Labor Will Be Revived
In fact, one outcome of AI and automation may well be a revival of manual labor and of the traditional working class — maybe becoming more like an artisan class again.
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Why Passenger Railways are Terrible and Freight Railways are Amazing
American railways are the envy of the world. Many might shake a collective head at that statement. In the case of passenger rail that is an appropriate reaction. Since it was pieced together – a government-constructed Franken-rail system built of numerous bankrupt railways which were essentially nationalized – Amtrak has been a reliable money sink,…
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What’s Good and Bad about Automation
What automation of any kind does is to make work more productive and hence to free up time and resources by increasing the intensity of the use of resources.
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Hiding Likes Can Make Instagram Better Than Ever
Is the “popularity” contest that has become vanity platforms like Instagram contributing to the content experience? Or is it just introducing social pathologies?
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Don’t Hand Over Your Money to Uncompetitive Banks
Having lived abroad for most of the last seven years, I am painfully aware of the challenges that emerge from having incomes, assets, and costs in different currencies. Sometimes that yields you unexpected windfalls, like when the British pound (GBP) between 2013 and 2015 was dirt cheap for us with incomes and assets in Swedish…
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The Great Lesson of Vision Fund
A central plan is not a business plan. Even a private sector central plan is doomed to fail.
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Wealth Is About Much More than Physical Things
We shouldn’t let our inability to measure increased wealth convince us that we aren’t making progress.
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Venmo, The Public Version
As Vice reports, New York lawmakers want to create a “public Venmo.” Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, allows users to make person-to-person payments. Under the proposal, New York State would build and operate its own Venmo-like payments platform. What problems would a public Venmo solve? In his original proposal, law professor Robert Hockett mentions…
-
•
Alternative Non-State Forms of Governance
For many problems, though, non-profits have trumped governments and for-profits, including mutuals. People need to remember the non-profit option before turning to governments or for-profits for aid.
-
•
Where are the Flying Cars?
We have good planes, good helicopters, good drones, and good cars. In the end, maybe they just need to be different things, for a while longer.
-
•
Manual Labor Will Be Revived
In fact, one outcome of AI and automation may well be a revival of manual labor and of the traditional working class — maybe becoming more like an artisan class again.
-
•
Why Passenger Railways are Terrible and Freight Railways are Amazing
American railways are the envy of the world. Many might shake a collective head at that statement. In the case of passenger rail that is an appropriate reaction. Since it was pieced together – a government-constructed Franken-rail system built of numerous bankrupt railways which were essentially nationalized – Amtrak has been a reliable money sink,…
-
•
What’s Good and Bad about Automation
What automation of any kind does is to make work more productive and hence to free up time and resources by increasing the intensity of the use of resources.
-
•
Hiding Likes Can Make Instagram Better Than Ever
Is the “popularity” contest that has become vanity platforms like Instagram contributing to the content experience? Or is it just introducing social pathologies?
-
•
Don’t Hand Over Your Money to Uncompetitive Banks
Having lived abroad for most of the last seven years, I am painfully aware of the challenges that emerge from having incomes, assets, and costs in different currencies. Sometimes that yields you unexpected windfalls, like when the British pound (GBP) between 2013 and 2015 was dirt cheap for us with incomes and assets in Swedish…
-
•
The Great Lesson of Vision Fund
A central plan is not a business plan. Even a private sector central plan is doomed to fail.
-
•
Wealth Is About Much More than Physical Things
We shouldn’t let our inability to measure increased wealth convince us that we aren’t making progress.