Summary: Noah Smith discusses various economic topics, including the decline in obesity rates in America and the impact of remote work on housing supply and rents. He also highlights China’s focus on technological self-sufficiency over GDP growth, suggesting a shift in economic strategy under Xi Jinping. The piece emphasizes the complexity of economic growth factors, including taxes and the influence of social media on public understanding of economics.
the obvious story is that decades of cultural fat-shaming failed to stop the relentless rise in obesity, until a miracle drug came along and allowed us to treat it as a medical problem instead of a personal failing. (View Highlight)
I wonder what other personal problems we could reframe as technological challenges to be solved rather than personal failings to be shamed. How about addiction? Fortunately, there’s some evidence that Ozempic also helps with that! In fact, Ozempic might be the closest thing to a miracle drug that we’ve invented in recent memory: (View Highlight)
If you make more money, you lose your benefits. This can be very frustrating for poor people, since it means they just can’t seem to get ahead no matter how hard they try. (View Highlight)