[Illniyar]

That sounds like "trickle down economy". I.E. the idea that when the top capital experiences growth it manifests in growth for working and poor people.

While it does to some degree, it's rather debunked as I understand it.

At the current rate 9$/hr on average for Africa would mean a massive increase in standard of living, so you could achieve the same goal you imply by better distribution of wealth without growth (though that has it's own problems).

What I'm trying to say is that continuous growth isn't necessary to improve standard of living.

Besides history has shown us that growth isn't continuous, rather it's cyclic with a general upward trend.

[taneq]

It's more like humanity is playing a growth-sum game. If growth is positive then people can improve their lot without reducing someone else's, which creates all sorts of scenarios where it's rational to cooperate, making things better for everyone. If growth is at or below zero, then people have no incentive to work together except to defeat other people.

[JoeSamoa]

I like the theory, but I'm curious how climate change as a prisoners dilemma would play into your hypothesis. Optimizing finance rather than the environmental externality... Maybe we just don't see how it's in our best interest to cooperate?

[challenger22]

Let's say you had a version of the prisoner's dilemma where 7 billion people had to cooperate for the highest payoff to occur. Would you cooperate?

[dotancohen]

This is probably the most insight comment that I've seen on HN all year. Thank you.

[taneq]

Hmm... "Disregard externalities" as a form of defecting?

[JoeSamoa]

No I mean we need to focus on negative externalities like environmental impacts.

[tomp]

These days, Africans might have no running water but they have mobile phones. Sounds like a (slight) increase in the standard of living. Definitely "trickle down", maybe not "economy" but at least "technology" (which is what ultimately counts on the long run - we don't care who was rich in Ancient Greece, but we do care about their technology).