Government should redirect spending from non-discretionary entitlements to discretionary funding for basic research, but this is politically impossible because utilitarianism always dominates policy, prioritizing redistribution over future-oriented investment
causalpending
Speaker
Reid HoffmannEvidence Quote
“I would much rather have government spend money on basic research and wealth redistribution. But we live in a society where utilitarian considerations always dominate. Non-discretionary spending keeps growing, discretionary spending—the part that does innovation—shrinks. Utilitarianism stops you from doing anything”
Created: 8/13/2026, 9:55:39 AM
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