2026-09-11 15:02 UTC
But "efficiency" isn't a freestanding concept. A Martian observing the Earth through a powerful telescope could not tell you when a long line at the grocery store was "efficient" (because the wages saved by understaffing exceeded the lost business from customers who noped out and abandoned their shopping cart) and when it was "inefficient" (because the mom whose wait made her miss administering her kid's insulin ended up spending thousands on an emergency room visit).
8/
Replies (1)
-
@pluralistic@mamot.fr 2026-09-11 15:03
In practice, an economist's "efficiency" is indistinguishable from "brittleness" and often crosses over into "cheating." The most "efficient" companies in the world have made an art out of locking in their customers, making it so hard to switch to a rival that customers tolerate declining quality, service and affordability: https://pluralistic.net/2026/09/06/hotels-california/#the-eagles-were-optimists 9/