02.16.15
The Laotian economy
Edward Ericson Jr’s. TEDx talk on the sharing economy. Or as he points out, the bringing of the black market economies of failed and near-failed states to the US, except with the added convenience of a smartphone app.
He puts it wryly, but every effectively, dubbing it the model of the social network in Laos, or anyplace else people are in the street giving small amounts of cash money to anyone who can give them a ride in their overburdened mini-bus.
The Silicon Valley geniuses, he says, have no use for a social contract.
Everyone will be forced to take a bunch of jobs, none of which, separately or in the aggregate, earn any kind of living.
As the country descends into the maelstrom of all-against-all, the wealthy and their very close servants, those who haven’t yet been deemed an extra expense that could be better atomized through crowd-sourcing, get cheap cab rides, delivery of groceries, and their business meetings transcribed at a few pennies to a quarter an hour.
PARIAH magazine’s cover on the sharing economy.
The sharing economy — from the archives.
anon said,
February 16, 2015 at 2:10 pm
So, he’s advocating a black market economy within US borders, all done over smart phones…
Which are constantly monitored…
Which have electronic recording of each call made or message sent…
Which are subject to court order as evidence…
And somehow, the normal rules will not apply, except, of course, for the guy collecting the licensing fee on your phone app, even after you’ve gone to jail.
Yeah.
George Smith said,
February 16, 2015 at 3:04 pm
I wouldn’t say he’s an advocate, by any means. See here, I mentioned him last week and it’s plains that he thinks this is dreadful.
http://dickdestiny.com/blog1/?p=18985
His essay half a year earlier on the sharing economy is even more pointed.
This is worse than the old saying “Root, hog or die.”
anon said,
February 16, 2015 at 5:58 pm
Sorry. Video didn’t work.