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   Greg Wilson (gvwilson@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 02-Jun-2024 01:50:15 JST Greg Wilson

   I _really_ enjoyed Wainwright's "Narconomics", which explores the economics of the illegal drug trade. It turns out that (for example) HR is more of a problem than you'd think: good accountants know they can actually make more money on Wall Street where crime is legal. Marketing, dispute resolution, quality control: it's a very fun read. But it sparked a thought… 1/2

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     Greg Wilson (gvwilson@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 02-Jun-2024 01:50:15 JST Greg Wilson

     in reply to

     I think a book comparing Big Tech to drug cartels would be awesome. Both make money from selling addictive products and shrugging off externalities; both needed new offerings to bring in new revenue (AI is to Google what meth was to the Juarez cartel); both regard the legal system as merely an operating cost; and both tend to be run by egomaniacal sociopaths. (I expect Musk and Escobar would have gotten on well.) If I knew enough, I'd start today; if you do, please start tomorrow. 2/2