21 Comments

Fantastic. I'd love to teach this. Actually, I do teach this -- I co-direct the University at Buffalo NYC Program in Finance & Law -- but I don't have Legos! Please get this built. Happy to discuss further, quibbles, add ons (though fractal is wonderful) . . . bravo.

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Such a lego set would be very instructive, particularly if paired with a Biosphere set on the same lines. The complexity of the relationships and the essentially parallel interactions would lend themselves to a generic production line but - and this is the kicker - with vastly different results. The game could be further enhanced with betting on what leads to the different results. My money, such as it is, is on humans inability to manage complexity in a system that absolves them of responsibility.

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Jan 26Liked by Brett Scott

This is really helpful. Thanks Brett.

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Feb 9Liked by Brett Scott

God, exceptional stuff again Brett. Yet again you've really helped simplify and clarify some things that were quite tangled in my mind, while also faithfully pointing out the places where you might be verging on oversimplification. Thank you!

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Jan 21Liked by Brett Scott

Have you seen Adam Tooze’s recent piece on “the EU as a loosely and liberally articulated, state capitalism”? He starts from this premise and thinks through what happened in the GFC and since. https://open.substack.com/pub/adamtooze/p/chartbook-261-a-failed-project-of?r=8i8ok&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

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Jan 19Liked by Brett Scott

Skin in the Lego Game. You could expand your idea to multiple Lego sets (Brett's, Biosphere, etc.) and map the elements of the generic production line you mentioned for patterns.

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I agree with you that "consumers" are caught in the churn. And... I believe we have a *little* more agency than perhaps this piece gives us credit for?

At the same time I type this, I'm also thinking "nevermind." Eeeeek. 😬

In this case, what or who, can precipitate change? And what kinds of change?

I know, big questions, but it's easy to spiral down on this one....

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Jan 18Liked by Brett Scott

Brilliant! I've just missed the huge quantity of waste produced in every stage

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Remember that managers and workers are also consumers. How does that work out in the model?

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