WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:02.159 Listen up, folks. It is that time. 2 00:00:02.159 --> 00:00:05.759 We are gonna do the last chapter, which is actually a very short chapter. 3 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:09.540 We are ready to get into it. Are you guys excited? I am very excited. 4 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:11.380 Last 5 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:14.580 home stretch of the book. Here we go. 6 00:00:15.015 --> 00:00:15.915 One, two, three. 7 00:00:16.935 --> 00:00:23.435 My vision is a small efficient government that does only the minimum necessary that cannot be done by private actors. 8 00:00:24.295 --> 00:00:27.015 Milton Friedman is an economist who has inspired me a lot. 9 00:00:27.015 --> 00:00:29.915 He breaks down the four essential government functions 10 00:00:30.380 --> 00:00:31.039 to these. 11 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:34.079 One, border and military, defend the nation. 12 00:00:34.379 --> 00:00:39.360 Two, police, protect citizens against abuse and coercion by other citizens. 13 00:00:39.739 --> 00:00:40.239 Three, 14 00:00:40.540 --> 00:00:41.040 laws, 15 00:00:41.579 --> 00:00:45.360 define the rules of the game we play, for example, private property. 16 00:00:45.825 --> 00:00:47.125 And four, justice, 17 00:00:47.504 --> 00:00:51.765 a mechanism for adjudicating disputes about the meaning of the rules. 18 00:00:52.385 --> 00:00:56.085 That's it. That's all the government needs to do, and by extension, 19 00:00:56.545 --> 00:00:58.725 that's all the government should do. 20 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:01.720 Everything else is better done by private citizens. 21 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.819 What about the fire department? That could be private too. 22 00:01:04.819 --> 00:01:07.780 If you want protection from a fire department, shop around for one. 23 00:01:07.780 --> 00:01:09.880 Maybe it comes bundled in with your insurance. 24 00:01:10.180 --> 00:01:11.380 What about health care? 25 00:01:11.380 --> 00:01:14.915 Well, we've already seen how well that works when the government meddles with it. 26 00:01:15.055 --> 00:01:18.915 This vision is obviously a radical departure from where we are today. 27 00:01:20.335 --> 00:01:22.034 And might I add here, right, Denmark 28 00:01:22.575 --> 00:01:25.875 is one of those countries where the government meddles in freaking everything, 29 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:30.320 And I really want my fellow Europeans to understand that this vision 30 00:01:30.940 --> 00:01:35.680 is much more functional than anything that we're doing currently. You have no idea 31 00:01:35.980 --> 00:01:40.320 how much you're being held back by all the bullshit that the government does on our behalf. 32 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:41.440 It's insane. 33 00:01:43.155 --> 00:01:46.695 Alright. Back to the script. What about all the people? 34 00:01:47.315 --> 00:01:54.854 If we did drastically reduce the scope of government, what would we do with all the current government employees, contractors, and welfare recipients? 35 00:01:55.555 --> 00:01:58.920 Great question. We'd obviously need to have a transition period. 36 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:02.440 We wouldn't want to just dump them on the street. That would be inhumane. 37 00:02:02.820 --> 00:02:11.640 I think for a large number of them, just continuing to pay them a decent salary, but having them stop doing any work, would be a major improvement for everyone. 38 00:02:11.915 --> 00:02:14.955 That's always an option. This is not an indictment of them. 39 00:02:14.955 --> 00:02:18.415 It's an indictment of the system they're operating within. Remember, 40 00:02:18.715 --> 00:02:22.255 same people, different operating system, vastly different results. 41 00:02:22.795 --> 00:02:25.055 But I also believe that people want to be useful. 42 00:02:25.290 --> 00:02:28.110 So let's help them find good jobs or start businesses. 43 00:02:28.409 --> 00:02:30.909 But this doesn't have to be something the government does. 44 00:02:30.969 --> 00:02:36.109 With all the money that citizens would get to keep, I bet a bunch of them would be happy to contribute to organizations 45 00:02:36.409 --> 00:02:41.025 that did coaching or job training to help former government employees and welfare recipients 46 00:02:41.325 --> 00:02:42.065 get going. 47 00:02:42.125 --> 00:02:46.385 And all the extra money in people's pockets, combined with all the reduction in regulations, 48 00:02:46.845 --> 00:02:49.265 would unleash a wave of innovation, entrepreneurship, 49 00:02:49.645 --> 00:02:57.570 productivity improvements, and additional demand that would create so many new jobs that I believe most would quickly find something new to do. 50 00:02:57.710 --> 00:03:05.730 They probably have to get used to working in a private company that has actual customers to be responsible to, but I'm sure they'll figure it out fairly quickly. 51 00:03:05.975 --> 00:03:09.675 It feels good to do something you know makes a positive difference to people. 52 00:03:10.295 --> 00:03:11.035 My platform. 53 00:03:11.495 --> 00:03:15.115 If I were running for office, this is the platform I'd run on. 54 00:03:15.255 --> 00:03:19.195 My vision for politics is to create a well reasoned, logical, practical, 55 00:03:19.550 --> 00:03:23.650 simple set of guidelines for how to govern a city, state, or nation 56 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:25.250 and open source it. 57 00:03:25.550 --> 00:03:29.330 Any society that wants to adopt it in whole or part is welcome to. 58 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:32.530 Just like an open source project, we can share our experiences 59 00:03:33.035 --> 00:03:35.615 and submit patches, I e proposed updates, 60 00:03:35.915 --> 00:03:37.055 to the source document. 61 00:03:37.435 --> 00:03:42.495 And if it's agreed that the update is generally valid, then the source document may be updated. 62 00:03:43.035 --> 00:03:49.650 The idea is to derive from a clearly outlined set of values and then logically arrive at each element. 63 00:03:49.870 --> 00:03:56.690 And each element will have to be validated by reality, including their second, third, and fourth order consequences and beyond. 64 00:03:56.910 --> 00:04:04.685 The goal is to arrive at something that's simple, clear, and sound, and will stand the test of time, like The US constitution has. 65 00:04:05.145 --> 00:04:09.465 The platform. I'm just going to present a very rough list of bullet points to give you an idea. 66 00:04:09.465 --> 00:04:12.285 You may disagree with some of these principles, and that's okay. 67 00:04:12.425 --> 00:04:15.565 This is precisely the kind of conversation that we need to have. 68 00:04:16.105 --> 00:04:17.245 Immigration policy. 69 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.860 It is not our job to solve problems in other countries. 70 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:24.940 It is our job to not make problems in other countries or our own. 71 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:29.260 The best way to help people around the world is to be a great example 72 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:36.495 and to open source our findings about how individuals and nations thrive, knowing that everyone has the power to do what we're doing. 73 00:04:36.495 --> 00:04:40.435 Therefore, immigration policy should be designed to do what's best for us. 74 00:04:40.655 --> 00:04:42.514 Who do we want to bring in? 75 00:04:43.215 --> 00:04:44.275 Under which conditions? 76 00:04:44.655 --> 00:04:46.890 We define the rules, and we stick with them. 77 00:04:47.610 --> 00:04:56.430 In order to enter the country legally, you have to, at a minimum, be in good health, be able to support yourself financially, and also contribute to our nation in some way. 78 00:04:56.570 --> 00:04:58.830 We may, in addition to this, also 79 00:04:59.414 --> 00:05:03.194 add provisions for humanitarian based immigration at our own discretion, 80 00:05:03.735 --> 00:05:06.315 still with criteria, rules, and limits. 81 00:05:06.615 --> 00:05:12.854 Anyone who breaks the rules will be sent back at their own or their family's expense and prevent it from entering again. 82 00:05:12.854 --> 00:05:13.995 Economic policy. 83 00:05:14.530 --> 00:05:19.670 Price is the magic invention that allows a market to efficiently allocate scarce resources 84 00:05:20.130 --> 00:05:24.150 where they can do the most good. We never interfere with prices. 85 00:05:24.450 --> 00:05:27.815 No rent control, price control, none of that ever. 86 00:05:28.514 --> 00:05:33.255 Never allow money to buy influence into policies that govern how markets function. 87 00:05:33.715 --> 00:05:37.495 That's a recipe for big players to squeeze out smaller players and upstarts. 88 00:05:38.115 --> 00:05:43.009 We want healthy competition because we understand that's how we all get better together. 89 00:05:43.470 --> 00:05:49.009 When the market isn't producing the desired results, we identify the underlying root cause and solve that. 90 00:05:49.229 --> 00:05:52.770 Have we inadvertently put too many restrictions on innovation or competition? 91 00:05:53.150 --> 00:05:57.255 For example, maybe we have put too many restrictions on innovation or competition. 92 00:05:58.435 --> 00:05:58.935 Education. 93 00:05:59.715 --> 00:06:04.515 I'm not sure this is a government function at all, to be honest. Possible state level, if at all. 94 00:06:04.515 --> 00:06:06.375 So if so, here's my list. 95 00:06:06.915 --> 00:06:10.295 Make sure everyone learns some basic skills and foundational principles. 96 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:12.940 Reading and writing in at least two languages, 97 00:06:13.479 --> 00:06:16.300 reasoning and logic, deductive and inductive thinking, 98 00:06:16.840 --> 00:06:23.740 meditation and connecting with self beyond our thoughts and beliefs and how to notice and question them, conscious versus subconscious mind, 99 00:06:24.134 --> 00:06:28.074 feelings and how to feel them without identifying with them, learning and retention, 100 00:06:28.455 --> 00:06:34.074 math, the scientific method, problem definition and how to come up with and evaluate many different possible solutions, 101 00:06:34.534 --> 00:06:43.340 innovation and play, health, diet, toxins and the principles of giving the body optimal conditions to heal itself, movement and breath, music and art, 102 00:06:44.200 --> 00:06:46.060 entrepreneurship and business, economics. 103 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:52.095 In general, we want to instill the joy of learning and growth, not kill it. 104 00:06:52.495 --> 00:06:56.355 All government mandated education listed above is offered to everyone, 105 00:06:56.815 --> 00:06:57.875 child or adult. 106 00:06:58.255 --> 00:07:00.835 All government mandated education listed above 107 00:07:01.135 --> 00:07:03.395 is offered to everyone, child or adult, 108 00:07:03.695 --> 00:07:09.950 via a voucher that you can use to purchase education with any provider that's been licensed to teach based on the principles laid out. 109 00:07:10.010 --> 00:07:13.390 You will have lifetime access to whatever you purchase, including updates. 110 00:07:13.930 --> 00:07:22.825 Outside of the basics, trust the market to create lots of other educational products and services so people can learn whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want. 111 00:07:23.445 --> 00:07:23.945 Science. 112 00:07:24.405 --> 00:07:27.705 We will encourage and possibly conduct, for taxpayer dollars, 113 00:07:28.085 --> 00:07:32.905 foundational scientific research into what creates the optimal life of health, love, and prosperity. 114 00:07:33.470 --> 00:07:37.810 What type of diet is ideal based on whatever criteria determine your ideal diet? 115 00:07:38.110 --> 00:07:39.650 What about movement and exercise? 116 00:07:40.510 --> 00:07:42.850 What factors cause disease versus health? 117 00:07:42.990 --> 00:07:49.485 For example, things we put in our mouths, things we put on our skin, things we breathe, things we inject, things we think, things we feel, things we do, etcetera. 118 00:07:50.025 --> 00:07:56.605 What are the factors that cause people to get healthier, stronger, more prosperous, more loving, more content, more accomplished year after year? 119 00:07:56.745 --> 00:08:00.925 Let's research, document, and shout it out from the rooftops and teach it to kids. 120 00:08:01.780 --> 00:08:02.280 Regulation. 121 00:08:02.740 --> 00:08:05.380 We want to ensure some basic level of safety. 122 00:08:05.380 --> 00:08:13.320 We want people to trust that the building they live in isn't going to collapse, or the car they drive won't break down, or the food they eat won't kill them. 123 00:08:13.460 --> 00:08:16.545 Outside of the basics, we will take an education first approach, 124 00:08:16.945 --> 00:08:19.205 ensure people learn how to read and reason, 125 00:08:20.545 --> 00:08:22.005 ensure they're properly informed, 126 00:08:22.465 --> 00:08:24.165 and let them make their own decisions, 127 00:08:24.785 --> 00:08:29.365 allow public review sites like Yelp to help educate people, and hit down hard 128 00:08:29.825 --> 00:08:32.710 on any pay to play or other deceptive practices. 129 00:08:33.250 --> 00:08:38.790 It's tricky because the incentive for certain players to lie and deceive will be high, but that's the nature of humans. 130 00:08:39.090 --> 00:08:45.785 Even in today's highly regulated world, a big pharma will say one thing to your face and then put another in the fine print to skate the rules. 131 00:08:46.084 --> 00:08:49.545 Educate people better and trust them to make better choices that way. 132 00:08:49.845 --> 00:08:53.464 As little licensing as possible, you don't need a license to cut here. 133 00:08:54.325 --> 00:08:55.225 Drug policy. 134 00:08:55.285 --> 00:09:02.280 Anytime something's illegal, it creates a black market, which opens the doors to organized crime and cartels, so we wanna be careful with drug policies. 135 00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:05.780 The most important side of the drug issue is the demand side. 136 00:09:05.780 --> 00:09:10.340 If there's no demand, there's no market. Why do people demand drugs to get away from themselves? 137 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:12.680 They feel like shit. Drugs make them feel better. 138 00:09:13.085 --> 00:09:16.625 They get addicted. They feel even more like shit. They need more. 139 00:09:17.325 --> 00:09:23.105 By teaching people how to relate to their thoughts and feelings and to take care of their bodies, the demand for drugs plummets. 140 00:09:25.725 --> 00:09:26.865 Integrity and transparency. 141 00:09:27.579 --> 00:09:29.839 Everything the government does needs to be transparent. 142 00:09:30.060 --> 00:09:34.240 Are there things that need to be done in secrecy? Of course, yes. But very little. 143 00:09:34.540 --> 00:09:37.019 In general, every dollar spent needs to be accounted for. 144 00:09:37.019 --> 00:09:40.079 Even if it's for black ops, we need to know the total amount spent. 145 00:09:40.715 --> 00:09:44.235 Use blockchain and Bitcoin to track all the money that flows through the government. 146 00:09:44.235 --> 00:09:47.935 Where does it come from and where does it go? The public blockchain will tell you. 147 00:09:48.235 --> 00:09:55.055 Crowdsource research into where the money is going, how we can allocate it more efficiently, and where there's evidence of fraud or bribery. 148 00:09:55.530 --> 00:09:58.190 If you're a government employee or contractor or subcontractor 149 00:09:58.650 --> 00:10:04.090 and you withhold, obfuscate, or destroy evidence intentionally or accidentally, that's instant jail time. 150 00:10:04.090 --> 00:10:05.470 Fuck around and find out. 151 00:10:06.250 --> 00:10:07.950 Legislation and policy making. 152 00:10:08.025 --> 00:10:15.705 Every policy needs to have a clearly stated and measurable problem definition and intended outcome, which needs to be agreed upon first. 153 00:10:15.705 --> 00:10:18.845 What's the real problem and what's the outcome we'd like to see instead? 154 00:10:19.305 --> 00:10:25.370 Each proposal needs to address a single issue and a single issue only, except if there's an obvious reason to put them together, I. 155 00:10:25.370 --> 00:10:27.790 E. The same solution knocks out multiple problems. 156 00:10:28.250 --> 00:10:31.070 Even so, we still want to be clear about each problem separately. 157 00:10:31.610 --> 00:10:36.670 Then we crowdsource ideas for how to solve the problem and achieve the intended outcome from our entire citizenry, 158 00:10:37.595 --> 00:10:39.295 and even the world beyond. 159 00:10:39.835 --> 00:10:48.895 Proposed courses of actions should be backed up by evidence based in experiments as much as possible, and we need to also look at what are the second, third, and fourth order consequences 160 00:10:49.620 --> 00:10:54.500 of any proposed solution, and what other consequences might come as a result of this. 161 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:56.520 We need to look out for these later. 162 00:10:57.220 --> 00:11:01.720 We then evaluate the options and pick the top three to conduct further experiments if necessary. 163 00:11:02.045 --> 00:11:07.085 Then and only then do we pick a policy to implement. Once we do, we monitor the results closely. 164 00:11:07.085 --> 00:11:09.885 Does it solve the problem? Does it deliver the desired outcome? 165 00:11:09.885 --> 00:11:12.945 Are there other consequences that we did or didn't see coming? 166 00:11:13.725 --> 00:11:15.585 Are those desirable or not? 167 00:11:16.610 --> 00:11:21.750 We need to reason about and document all of these things, so we force a rigorous process and learn from our experience. 168 00:11:22.210 --> 00:11:24.950 And we want to involve the best minds into the process. 169 00:11:25.250 --> 00:11:28.665 Every once in a while, there will be a situation that requires a more rapid response. 170 00:11:29.065 --> 00:11:36.204 Those situations are rare, but in that case, we can skip the additional experimental phase if there's enough evidence in the crowdsourcing ideas phase. 171 00:11:37.225 --> 00:11:41.485 But generally, it would be a lot better to come up with a way to conduct rapid experiments. 172 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:45.960 This is something that humans generally are very bad at is solving problems. 173 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:49.900 Like, even just identifying what is the problem that we're looking to solve. 174 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:52.060 Most people, like 99 175 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:58.105 plus percent people, will just jump straight into a solution to something because it feels good to do something, 176 00:11:58.485 --> 00:12:02.985 but they haven't actually figured out, is this the problem to solve? Is that actually the problem? 177 00:12:03.205 --> 00:12:03.945 They'll just 178 00:12:04.645 --> 00:12:05.785 wanna do stuff. 179 00:12:06.325 --> 00:12:09.305 And the understanding of the problem we're trying to solve exactly 180 00:12:10.005 --> 00:12:10.665 is, like, 181 00:12:11.420 --> 00:12:15.279 so important, so critical. But people aren't wired that way. They're not taught that way. 182 00:12:15.660 --> 00:12:17.759 They're just like, do shit, do shit. 183 00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:19.279 Alright. Environment. 184 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:21.600 The principle 185 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:23.680 is to account for externalities. 186 00:12:24.075 --> 00:12:26.475 You're not allowed to pollute, and if you do, you pay for it. 187 00:12:26.475 --> 00:12:30.335 If you can't pay because you went bankrupt, we'll have to clean up after you. 188 00:12:30.955 --> 00:12:37.375 Ban known toxins, and the government can help pay to remove toxins that we didn't know were toxins at the time, so they were used 189 00:12:37.835 --> 00:12:40.910 through no fault of whoever did it. Labor laws. 190 00:12:40.970 --> 00:12:46.270 Allow any citizen who wants to work and get paid whatever they agree to get paid. No minimum wage. 191 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:51.070 Not sure about minimum age, given that minors obviously cannot consent under a certain age. 192 00:12:51.705 --> 00:12:54.205 Poverty. Poverty is a matter of mindset and opportunity. 193 00:12:54.585 --> 00:12:59.725 Ensure everyone has equal opportunity and that basic productive mindset is taught in school. 194 00:13:00.105 --> 00:13:03.405 Taxes. Flat tax rate with a high deductible for everyone. 195 00:13:03.770 --> 00:13:08.890 No itemized deductions, period. Not sure about business taxes. Do companies get to take deductions? 196 00:13:08.890 --> 00:13:11.150 How are they taxed? I still have a lot to learn here. 197 00:13:11.530 --> 00:13:14.590 Any fines collected will go first to pay for the damage, 198 00:13:14.970 --> 00:13:21.015 then pay down the debt, then the rest is given back to the citizens as an additional deduction the year after. 199 00:13:21.235 --> 00:13:25.175 We don't want fines to be a sneaky way for the government to raise more money. 200 00:13:26.275 --> 00:13:28.135 Alright. That was the end of that chapter.