Random News Stories

[David]

[What'sinaname]

Interesting that you think Uber has worsened the taxi industry. Would like to understand why you think that.

[David]

I think we all know the stories by now, but this sums it up: https://thewire.in/labour/uber-drivers-pay-exploitation

I've never looked at the taxi industry with any degree of idealism either – and recent personal experiences certainly haven't helped! – and to some extent thought those companies got what was coming to them when Uber came in. But at least with taxi companies drivers have something like dependable work, leave, workplace protections etc. The gig economy does away with most of that and leaves people to the mercy of the market while the rideshare company scoops up all the profits. It seems to me less "disruptive" (in the sense of bringing positive change) than simply a new, more efficient way to do capitalism that cuts out a lot of inefficiencies that protected employees.

See the way Airbnb is putting hotels out of business by essentially running staff-free accommodation (meanwhile inflating the property market) for a similar example. You start with a fairly uncontroversial idea (people renting out their own living space on a case-by-case basis) and end up with the big property moguls moving in and making newer and crappier hotels.

[pietillidie]

^We live in a mad world of extremes, where people pile on too hard one way or the other. The whole taxi licence business was an anti-competitive sham (though TBH I can't remember if it was as bad in Oz as it was in other countries), and had no incentive to improve technology, convenience, availability and price.

I'm less enamoured by Airbnb and like companies, although no doubt they have helped pressure the hotel business to provide more affordable options. While the ease and opportunity for people to earn a quid is goood, housing shortages are one of the top few problems of our times. Much more minor but irritating, urban noise pollution is hard enough to contain without it being kept in controlled areas such as entertainment districts (think of areas that attract partygoers to Airbnbs, although to their credit I think they've cracked down on that a bit).

Many of these things are a balance, but rather than grasping the nettle and implementing balanced policy ahead of the curve, governments tend to react after the fact to popular outrage one way or the other, flipping from one sub-optimal solution to the next.

That said, there needed to be a wave of pressure to open up the taxi industry, so the Uber-type operators would argue they had to go overboard to force the hand of governments. But again, that's why I respect governments and political leaders who make those hard but balanced decisions early.

We could get the regulatory balance right far quicker on all of these things, including protecting gig workers without choking off change and innovation, if internet mobs and voters weren't such shrieking, unthinking, irresponsible and unaccountable halfwits.

Not to mention there is always a parasitic wannabe demogagues ready to co-opt clueless mobs by turning what ought to be mundane management decisions into outraged political movements. (And once the dumb decision is made, like Brexit, it takes years for the idiots who supported it to admit their mistake like grown adults and move on, meaning the mistake can linger on for years).

[pietillidie]

If you hate The Guardian, just do what I do and scan down the home page and check the authors, as they do syndicate some good articles. Bernie Sanders is one you will see today, while there's a syndicated piece from the Irish Times, which I read for work purposes, on the support for Palestine in the EU (and which is very vocal in Ireland). Remember, much of the EU also rightly opposed the Iraq War, so it is often crucial in countering American extremism.

There is even an article by perennial coc£head and conservative economist Kenneth Rogoff, of Reinhart-Rogoff spreadsheet error fame, so not everything is leftist drone. This time, Rogoff's point is pretty good. Just avoid the editorials and regular columnists, except John Crace, whose UK political satire is painfully accurate.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/01/gaza-humanitarian-pause-bernie-sanders

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/02/ireland-criticism-israel-eu-palestinian-rights

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/01/so-no-10-run-by-donkeys-went-to-oxbridge-my-dog-could-have-done-better

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/02/emerging-markets-debt-crisis-defaults

[David]

Today in bad journalistic practices, this headline from The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/27/liz-truss-republican-president-election-2024

[Magpietothemax]

^Will never embarrass them. They backstabbed Julian Assange, so what more could one expect of this pro-corporate rabble?

[Culprit]

We no longer have "News", what we actually have is "Views" thanks to agenda-driven media.

[pietillidie]

This sounds like it could be a workable nuclear fusion proof of concept. The practical engineering is a way off, but laser engineering is advancing rapidly, and the prize is enormous:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-04045-8

[pietillidie]

Here's an excellent piece on Aussie water trading, which has been effective in some ways, and disastrous in others. I won't comment as I don't know enough about the subject anymore, but it's no doubt a crucial topic and this is a solid effort:

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-australia-water-trade-drought/

[think positive]

[Culprit]

Just happened to flick on FTA by accident and what's one of the stories? That hack comedian who became an expert in Viruses got injured in a surfing accident. Like really, who gives a toss? No wonder I don't watch FTA.

[stui magpie]

^

What's FTA?

I don't watch TV until evening unless there's cricket or footy on.

[Culprit]

Free To Air

[stui magpie]

Doh. I watch FTA a lot, but as I said, the TV generally doesn't go on til 6pm for the news.

If i ever find myself sitting down watching TV during the day, unless it's sport, that's a sign it's time to climb to the top of the Toc bridge and shoot myself in the head.