Comment on Possible bank run happening in Canada
iamtanmay@wolfballs.com 3 years agoYes, but only partly. The physical problem is location. If you want to live rurally, prices are dirt cheap, probably similar to what it was 20 years ago. On the other hand urban prices have skyrocketed. The great rural urban migration will just keep making it worse, because land is a limited resource.
Asia is the same. Its only cheap if you live in an underdeveloped area. Prices in Metropolitan hubs in India and Japan are much higher than NY. China surprisingly lags behind these two, but it will catch up. Singapore is a special regulated market. Hong Kong is the worst. Other than that, if you live outside of these areas, you will find it cheap.
Urbanites will have to live in ze Pods and eat ze bugs. Its Physics/Economics, regardless of what Herr Schwob wants
goldenballs@wolfballs.com 3 years ago
Yes, but fuel & transport is a bigger proportional cost in rural areas, for obvious reasons.
Fuel and land costs have rocketed across Europe. Only the east might be comparable to North America now Sure, houses might be cheaper in rural areas, but that has been changing in desirable spots. Some places doubling as relatively wealthy urbanites drop cheddar on all the nicest places, and don't integrate with the locals.
China will not catch up, its facing a generational housing crisis that wipe millions out, and a couple major demographic crises (ageing population, and gender imbalance), that already started the deflationary decline - China is heading for something like Japanification, unlike India, which is growing.
In rural SEAsia, many small necessary costs (food, transport) are higher than in the centre of large cities, i have direct recent experience of that. There are of course affluent or touristy enclaves with elevated costs and associated better infrastructure.
If you want to live cheap in rural indochina, you will be pretty bored, just cheap beer, leftover women, and weed - which may or may not conflict with the sustainability of your income stream.
I don't envy future urbanites, and push my kids to learn tech and make a business. I am of an emigrant mindset, the old world is eating its own young to sustain its decaying models.
iamtanmay@wolfballs.com 3 years ago
There's been so many tradeoffs, its hard to complain overall. Would you be willing to exchange today to go back in time 20 years ?
Increase in technology is a huge plus, as long as you cut yourself off from the oligarchs. Consumer goods are much cheaper today. That's raised living standards a lot. Fuel is too expensive now, but DIY solar is cheap. Biggest expense is labor cost of installers. Instead, its easy to DIY - electricals all plug and play.
That leaves transport. Its too expensive. I use public transport, and have large deliveries, delivered from the shops. A small electrical car for occasional short city trips would work, but for regular long distance hauling, you have to pay for expensive petrol. No good solutions.
Now, living 1 hour drive from a Euro urban center is workable. Land for a proper home is affordable that far out, and you can make occasional trips to enjoy city events. Having a general peaceful life outside the city isn't bad at all :)
goldenballs@wolfballs.com 3 years ago
Yes i would be willing to go vack 20 years, with or without knowledge of the last 20. People were not completely fucked in the head by smartphone life.
iamtanmay@wolfballs.com 3 years ago
Easily creating online business with customers around the world, freeing yourself from corporate slavery
Using Bitcoin to free yourself from inflation and govt control
Video calling family that live far away, without needing to expensively fly or drive every time you want to see them
Building a house with cheap DIY solar to be self sufficient
Podcasts with independent thinkers and experts to see the truth outside of govt & mainstream propaganda
Free education via online videos and courses in EVERY subject imaginable
Modern smart appliances that clean, cook and take care of your children
etc etc
Each one of these is an immense change that on its own would justify TODAY as being leaps better than 20 years ago.
Tech is synonymous with change. Giving up on tech is the same as giving up on advancing the future. To live in stasis. Although its nice to sit still every now and then, and just appreciate the sunset, its no way to live life.