SSC
Asymmetric Weapons Gone Bad
Scott Alexander examines how increased rational debate doesn't always lead to truth, using personal and societal examples, and suggests ways to carefully approach traditions and changes.
25 min read 3,807 words
A thread through the archive
communism
Essays tagged “communism”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on communism
9 essaysSSC
Book Review: Inventing The Future
Scott Alexander reviews 'Inventing The Future', critiquing its communist strategy while acknowledging its utopian vision.
50 min read 7,632 words
SSC
The Argument From Cultural Evolution
The post examines cultural evolution, arguing that while within-culture evolution is effective, between-cultures evolution is too slow and weak to justify cultural practices like opposition to gay marriage.
14 min read 2,016 words
SSC
The Influenza Of Evil
Scott Alexander explores how evil evolves to evade societal recognition, drawing parallels with flu viruses and analyzing modern bullying tactics.
11 min read 1,610 words
SSC
Book Review: Red Plenty
Scott reviews 'Red Plenty', a book about Soviet economic planning, discussing its initial promise, challenges, and ultimate failure.
28 min read 4,221 words
SSC
Book Review: Singer on Marx
Scott Alexander reviews Singer's book on Marx, finding Marx's ideas deeply flawed, particularly his refusal to plan for communist governance and his belief in infinitely malleable human nature.
21 min read 3,159 words
SSC
The death of wages is sin
Scott Alexander critiques a plan to cure youth unemployment by abolishing minimum wage, arguing that unemployment might be preferable to miserable employment at extremely low wages.
7 min read 1,078 words
SSC
Valleys have two sides
Scott Alexander critiques the Reactionary 'uncanny valley' argument for dictatorship, highlighting its practical flaws and drawing parallels with Communist regimes.
8 min read 1,127 words
LW
Solutions to Political Problems As Counterfactuals
Scott analyzes why some proposed political solutions feel wrong or useless by examining them as counterfactuals, arguing that valid solutions must involve modifying nodes you can actually influence rather than wishfully changing things you have no power over.
12 min read 1,787 words