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roystgnr comments on Equality and natalism - Less Wrong Discussion

10 [deleted] 24 October 2012 03:53PM

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Comment author: roystgnr 25 October 2012 02:22:26PM 1 point [-]

I think "new advantages for the rich and disadvantages for the poor" hits on the problem precisely.

But note that the policy as stated doesn't actually specify who would be advantaged or hurt by new incentives. The one suggestion that is specified, subsidized contraception, would disadvantage the disproportionately-rich taxpayers and might be a greater advantage to disproportionately-poor users.

Yet it's perfectly natural to assume that the unspecified policy implementations would end up on net advantaging the rich and disadvantaging the poor, isn't it? I suspect that even the most anti-libertarian people could give you an intuitive explanation of how regulatory capture works in cases like this.