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JoshuaZ comments on How Islamic terrorists reduced terrorism in the US - Less Wrong Discussion

13 Post author: PhilGoetz 11 January 2015 05:19AM

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Comment author: JoshuaZ 11 January 2015 11:55:56PM 0 points [-]

Domino effects of banks was definitely a thing in the 19th and even 18th century. Moreover, even if it did happen to the extent that the worst case situations envisioned, it isn't clear it would have been worse than 1819. And even if total unemployment did get worse, it is likely that the overall standard of living would still remain far better than any time in the 19th century. Larger events can occur but the ratchet is still slowly moving in the same direction.

Comment author: Lumifer 12 January 2015 12:09:55AM 1 point [-]

Domino effects of banks was definitely a thing in the 19th and even 18th century.

Nationally. But not globally.

Moreover, even if it did happen to the extent that the worst case situations envisioned, it isn't clear it would have been worse than 1819.

Nothing is clear since we're dealing with counterfactuals, but why do you believe so?

Comment author: JoshuaZ 12 January 2015 12:28:55AM 0 points [-]

Well, I never saw an estimate for a worst case scenario with an unemployment rate as high that in 1819, but now that I state my reasoning explicitly, that sounds pretty weak.

Comment author: Lumifer 12 January 2015 01:57:22AM 1 point [-]

What was the unemployment rate in 1819? A brief look at the web gave me nothing.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 12 January 2015 02:22:43AM 0 points [-]

There have been a bunch of papers on this, I'll have to track them down, but if memory serves me the low estimate is around 15% and the high is around 22 or 23%. Unfortunately, precise economic pre-1920s is generally hard to come by.

Comment author: Lumifer 12 January 2015 02:34:55AM 2 points [-]

Given that right now the unemployment in Spain is about 25%, that doesn't sound too horrible.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 12 January 2015 02:46:04AM 2 points [-]

That's a good point. I suppose one could argue that Spain is a relatively small part of Europe as a whole, but that seems like a pretty weak argument. I think I'm going to have to update on this general position to substantially reduce my confidence that the economic situation has been becoming more stable. Thanks.