The profit motive reliably exposes brokenness. What changed to make loans for useless activity profitable? Normally, a loan for useless activity wouldn’t be issued, because of the expectation that it wouldn’t be repaid.
I feel the same way about the Barkley Marathons. What was once a soulful, austere and obscure contest against time and nature is now become a Roman orgy of decadence with contestants hauled about on opulent palanquins and all manner of one-wheeled contraption. It used to be special. If drugs were taken, they were not enjoyed. Hacker News became aware of the marathons, and now it’s only a matter of time until old Lazarus Lake is blowing that conch shell on stage with Taylor Swift, I tell you.
Nuclear power derives its energy from the binding energy of ultra-heavy atomic nuclei, not fossil fuels. This energy can then be used to power electric cars, avoiding fossil fuel consumption. Furthermore, unlike wind and solar energy, nuclear power generation is not tied to the vagaries of weather, meaning that it doesn’t require burning millions of cubic meters of natural gas every overcast, calm day. For this reason, Russia historically was the largest single benefactor of Germany’s green euphoria: it prolongs fossil fuel reliance.
So often, emotional thinking leads to conclusions that are opposed to reality. You really have to watch out for it, if you want good results.
