[andrewjl]

A flat distribution doesn't comport well with heterogenous consumption preferences. The latter is a trend that will likely intensify in the coming decade.

The challenge with discussing welfare is that different people have radically differing definitions of what it entails. A solution that's worked ok so far is to seek a minimal band of commonality. In the future, given current trends, it might be difficult to maintain even that and it will likely "snap" into several fragments. The strains leading to this "snapping" are the root causes of most headline political dynamics worldwide.

[eru]

I was suggesting a flat distribution in terms of the monetary value of consumption. Not what specifics people consume, which varies a lot with preference, yes.

Of course, some people like to 'consume' leisure instead of working to earn money to finance other consumption. That's a perfectly valid preference, just a bit harder to measure and model.