Political Discussion

Inflation once again came in hot and steady for September. The feds aggressively raising interests rates have failed to cool inflation and probably won't have any effect on cooling inflation down without doubling our current unemployment rate.

It appears banks around the world are failing to control inflation as well according to CNN. Inflation is not just a US issue, it's a global issue. And hence why it's so hard for a single country to control.
 
Inflation is not just a US issue, it's a global issue.

It’s taken you this long to see that? Like everyone non American on here has been going on about this since around February! The euro and pound being pretty much at dollar equivalence since the summer isn’t an accident. Well the pound kinda is because the Tory’s appointed an actual idiot ideologue as their leader, but still. The war in Ukraine and the knock on food and gas shortages is having a disastrous effect.
 
It’s taken you this long to see that? Like everyone non American on here has been going on about this since around February! The euro and pound being pretty much at dollar equivalence since the summer isn’t an accident. Well the pound kinda is because the Tory’s appointed an actual idiot ideologue as their leader, but still. The war in Ukraine and the knock on food and gas shortages is having a disastrous effect.

Yet is still hasn’t penetrated right wing news orgs/politicians over here that this is a global problem. Which is why he’s probably bringing it up.
 
Yet is still hasn’t penetrated right wing news orgs/politicians over here that this is a global problem. Which is why he’s probably bringing it up.

Yeah I know but I think us Europeans have brought it up in this thread more than once. It hit here harder and earlier due to reliance on Russian gas. This is going to be a long hard winter, particularly in the likes of Germany and Italy that are particularly reliant. Us and the UK have a degree of buffering because we tend to rely more on a Norwegian supply but it’s still starting to get scary price wise.

I know the dollar equivalence has come up across the site because, kinda depressingly, of cheap vinyl imports for you guys and I bitched at length when petrol reached €2.20 a litre over the summer…
 
I have known for about that long that inflation has been a global issue and that the causes are on the international level.

But that hasn't sunk in to almost half of the United States yet. To many, it's just a US problem and they are ignorant with what's going on in the rest of th world. And Biden and the democrats are to blame and we wouldn't be having this inflation if Trump were still in office. :rolleyes:
 
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Good. Emulating Thatcher is not a good political strategy but it seems to be the only thing that Liz can do.

Equally Thatcher was brutally competent and effective. She had political nous and knew when to step back. Liz is an idiot ideologue without the intelligence or political nous to effectively enact such policies.

That isn’t in any way a an attempt to defend her, her policies were shocking, I lived in the aftermath, but she was intellectually and practically in a different galaxy to Truss.
 
The problem I have always had with computer algorithms running our lives is that when we remove the human element in a system and rely solely on numbers, we get an inhumane system that quickly becomes exploitative--because being laser focused on chasing a profit creates nothing but pain for the humans caught in this system. And those that are most willing to use algorithms to inflict policies on others, tend to be the most inhumane of us.

To arrive at a recommended rent, the software deploys an algorithm — a set of mathematical rules — to analyze a trove of data RealPage gathers from clients, including private information on what nearby competitors charge.

For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.

One of the algorithm’s developers told ProPublica that leasing agents had “too much empathy” compared to computer generated pricing.


 
My apartment complex likely uses this algorithm, all I know is that they do use an algorithm. And it sucks. It guarantees rent will go up every year and there is a zero tolerance policy with negotiating rent. They absolutely will not do it / can not do it. The leasing agents don't have the power by corporate or the computer systems to do so even if there was a reasonable case to negotiate.

There are other games the algorithm plays that are annoying. Often a 12 month lease renewal isn't your cheapest term. The algorithm may inflate the 12 month lease renewal to a high number and offer a lower number for a random leasing term, like 7 months, because it moves the availability of your unit to where it's more profitable to them to renew / fill.
 
The problem I have always had with computer algorithms running our lives is that when we remove the human element in a system and rely solely on numbers, we get an inhumane system that quickly becomes exploitative--because being laser focused on chasing a profit creates nothing but pain for the humans caught in this system. And those that are most willing to use algorithms to inflict policies on others, tend to be the most inhumane of us.

To arrive at a recommended rent, the software deploys an algorithm — a set of mathematical rules — to analyze a trove of data RealPage gathers from clients, including private information on what nearby competitors charge.

For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.

One of the algorithm’s developers told ProPublica that leasing agents had “too much empathy” compared to computer generated pricing.



I just got to the last section of this book and it talks about algorithms making humans I obsolete in a liberal capitalist society.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow: Harari, Yuval Noah: 9780062464347: Amazon.com: Books
 
The problem I have always had with computer algorithms running our lives is that when we remove the human element in a system and rely solely on numbers, we get an inhumane system that quickly becomes exploitative--because being laser focused on chasing a profit creates nothing but pain for the humans caught in this system. And those that are most willing to use algorithms to inflict policies on others, tend to be the most inhumane of us.

To arrive at a recommended rent, the software deploys an algorithm — a set of mathematical rules — to analyze a trove of data RealPage gathers from clients, including private information on what nearby competitors charge.

For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.

One of the algorithm’s developers told ProPublica that leasing agents had “too much empathy” compared to computer generated pricing.



The mind boggles at the idea of someone having “too much empathy”. Such software should immediately be prohibited and it’s use illegal.
 
I just got to the last section of this book and it talks about algorithms making humans I obsolete in a liberal capitalist society.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow: Harari, Yuval Noah: 9780062464347: Amazon.com: Books

This quote from @nolalady article aligns with that.

One of the algorithm’s developers told ProPublica that leasing agents had 'too much empathy' compared to computer generated pricing.


I'll to check out that book. Thanks for the link.
 
The mind boggles at the idea of someone having “too much empathy”. Such software should immediately be prohibited and it’s use illegal.

Well empathy isn’t a commodity. 😕

You I had a strange interaction on a dating app that even points to relationships being commodified.


Her: I don’t know a 70’s Miles album but I can tell you a story about my dad driving with him from Boston to NY.

Me: ohh this sounds promising!

Her: what do you bring to the table?

😂
 
Well empathy isn’t a commodity. 😕

You I had a strange interaction on a dating app that even points to relationships being commodified.


Her: I don’t know a 70’s Miles album but I can tell you a story about my dad driving with him from Boston to NY.

Me: ohh this sounds promising!

Her: what do you bring to the table?

😂

And you didn’t answer:

“Aspiring free jazz dj”

There’s always been a degree of commodification to relationships, whether we choose to notice it or not…
 
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