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comment by wasoxygen
wasoxygen  ·  3249 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Paul Graham: Economic Inequality

I can see how that could reduce poverty, but how could it end inequality? People who are better at creating wealth will still be better at creating wealth, they might even benefit from improved infrastructure more than less affluent people.





user-inactivated  ·  3249 days ago  ·  link  ·  

putting thoughts together and will answer tomorrow.

briandmyers  ·  3249 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I see your point - PG did say "end inequality", not "reduce inequality".

wasoxygen  ·  3249 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I think he was just making the point that people don't work for fun, they work to get ahead. And some people are better at doing so than others. If we do not make it impossible to get ahead (i.e. end inequality) those people will get as far ahead as they can, and the dictionary definition of "rich" will apply to them.

    Variation in productivity is far from the only source of economic inequality, but it is the irreducible core of it