I use fiction to understand the edges of real-world problems that confuse me -- like how libertarian free market theory accounts for the need for group defense, & the value of nerdy central planners.
This approach to grappling with economics through worldbuilding is clever. Stripping away real-world complexity to examine core incentive structures in isolation helps clarify whats actually driving the system. I've noticed the same thing happens when teaching concepts, building small toy models forces you tounderstand which variables actualy matter and which are just noise. The tehomite currency mechanic is a solid solution, tying defense directly to transactional value means the incentive structure aligns naturally.
I do worry that I'm making the economic situation a little too pat -- real-world economics seem to mostly be food or status goods like pearls -- but I think I should just stop overthinking it and write :P many such cases.
This is off-topic, but I hope you will cross-post your book club here and not just on DSL.
I have resolved to not post on DSL, but would like to still engage with your projects.
I was going to make a similar request wrt your entertainment reaction log, but, honestly, I probably don't need the extra procrastination threads that would result (example: dissecting John Wick.)
Don't worry, I intend to cross-post the book club stuff on LXR, DSL, and Substack Notes (in slightly different formats due to the differences between forum/microblog/chat). The vaaaaaast majority of my Substack readers have no idea what DSL is, after all :P
The "General History of Pirates" book club experiment was entirely on Substack (though I occasionally cross-posted to the Naval Gazing Discord server when I had a relevant question for those folks).
At some point, the entertainment reaction log will get cleaned up and brought here (probably in the "Neat Stuff I Read") -- but I tend to fire those notes off immediately after watching, and only don't post those here because Substack Notes is awful for actually finding the thought again.
This approach to grappling with economics through worldbuilding is clever. Stripping away real-world complexity to examine core incentive structures in isolation helps clarify whats actually driving the system. I've noticed the same thing happens when teaching concepts, building small toy models forces you tounderstand which variables actualy matter and which are just noise. The tehomite currency mechanic is a solid solution, tying defense directly to transactional value means the incentive structure aligns naturally.
I do worry that I'm making the economic situation a little too pat -- real-world economics seem to mostly be food or status goods like pearls -- but I think I should just stop overthinking it and write :P many such cases.
This is off-topic, but I hope you will cross-post your book club here and not just on DSL.
I have resolved to not post on DSL, but would like to still engage with your projects.
I was going to make a similar request wrt your entertainment reaction log, but, honestly, I probably don't need the extra procrastination threads that would result (example: dissecting John Wick.)
Don't worry, I intend to cross-post the book club stuff on LXR, DSL, and Substack Notes (in slightly different formats due to the differences between forum/microblog/chat). The vaaaaaast majority of my Substack readers have no idea what DSL is, after all :P
The "General History of Pirates" book club experiment was entirely on Substack (though I occasionally cross-posted to the Naval Gazing Discord server when I had a relevant question for those folks).
At some point, the entertainment reaction log will get cleaned up and brought here (probably in the "Neat Stuff I Read") -- but I tend to fire those notes off immediately after watching, and only don't post those here because Substack Notes is awful for actually finding the thought again.
You may enjoy the graphic novel version of Capital and Ideology. https://ijoca.blogspot.com/2025/01/graphic-novel-review-thomas-pikettys.html