1. The integral unit of human decision-making is the individual. Although we can alter the choices put before a person, they will choose according to their own interest.
2. Infrastructure is the systematic alteration of options a group of people has, attempting to restructure their choices. Infrastructure can empower different and/or stronger choices (ex: the physical infrastructure of a highway system) or limit them (ex: the legal infrastructure of punishing murderers).
3. Infrastructure isn't free; it's subject to the "no free lunch" principle of economics. Laws require investigation and enforcement to have teeth, both of which require human work; highways require construction and maintenance; etc. Because of the shared nature of infrastructure, this leads to taxation, spending a portion of the total human capital available to the system. None of the above requires the existence of money to be true.
4. Therefore, the standard of judgement of an infrastructure is its ability to increase the efficiency of human capital such that the gain is greater than the cost, maximumizing the power of its society's human capital. In short, the best infrastructure is the most cost-effective one. The worst infrastructures are those which aim to limit choice without empowering it in some manner; these are costs without revenue.
5. The most cost-efficient infrastructures are those which work with, rather than against, individual self-interest. Like building a hydroelectric power plant which harnesses the power of a natural river, harnessing the "invisible hand of Adam Smith" is cost-effective because it allows the individual good and the social good to be promoted through the same choice or set of choices. That said, is a fallacy to assume the "invisible hand" always guides well; for example, if there is no effective law against murder, the "invisible hand" leads to slaughter. The great power of self-interest is not harnessed by default, but like the power of the raging river, it can be. In conclusion: quality infrastructure tends to align choices where possible such that multiple perspectives of good funnel through the same path.
When Stephen Colbert was killed by HYDRA's Project Insight in 2014, the comedy world lost a hero. Since his life model decoy isn't up to the task, please do not mistake my performance as political discussion. I'm just doing what Steve would have wanted.
Last edited by ScrotieMcB on Nov 15, 2016, 11:29:53 AM
