[onion2k]

to have equality, you'll have to reduce everyone to the lower common denominator, which will be rather low

Why must everyone go down to the lower common denominator? Wouldn't moving everyone to the average also be equality? For most middle-class Westerners that would be a reduction, but for most people on Earth that would very likely be a small improvement, and in some cases a significant improvement.

The real problem is that it's logistically impossible. Someone living in the middle of a desert just can't have access to the sort of food wealth and stable energy supply we have because the technologies to get those things to where they are don't really exist yet. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to move everyone towards the average a bit though.

[tathougies]

Of course the technology exists to bring food to the desert. Move to california if you think this is what the hold up is.

[onion2k]

California has ports and airports and... roads. People stay in the same places for a long time. Try delivering fresh produce to nomadic Bedouin tribes in the Eastern Sahara and you might find it a little trickier.

[Mirioron]

Then perhaps living in the Eastern Sahara is not a good choice?

[kofejnik]

If everybody is forced to be average, what's the point of even trying? I'd probably noodle on my guitar all day and play Fallout, rather than work

[onion2k]

A huge number of people work very hard for much less than middle class Westerners have. They would all get more than they have now. I suspect that would lead to better global productivity even with the loss of your input.

[beerandt]

Do people still actually believe this?

"Next time it will work because the workers will be properly motivated!"

[headsupernova]

exactly, that sounds rad. We don't have to do all of this busywork. Post scarcity is here.