The scenario was quite contrived - truly permanent poverty, enforced by a king. Every non-coerced form of poverty has at least the hope of benefiting by economic improvement, and most forms of poverty are something you can work your way out of (allowing for difficulties with time, energy, education and lowered IQ). Ordinary poverty is not a worse-than-death.
I'd be really interested to hear what the Less Wrong community thinks of this. Don't spoil it by reading the comments first.
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