Good article, moreover I couldn’t believe my eyes when I “stumbled upon” your site, that one programmer might have such a broad array of life’s interests that are completely out of pure mathemathical-logical and programming ones, which is not only positive but deserve every congratulation. So, my comment came as a result.

In today’s high-tech world where seems technology more and more dominate over human beings and their lives, it is rare to find a “tech” person interested in humaninties.

To me, it looks that people today simply run from cruel reality into their hidden, small, secure worlds of programming languages, which are nothing else but languages of MACHINES, hot human beings…They avoid that way to be openly socially engaged, thus there are less chances to be “target” of someone. They also on such a way are breaking barriers of social isolation and loneliness, by communicating with others through and about their “machines”, feeling they are doing some “higher” jobs who is reserved for “choosen ones” only, not understandable for most of the average people…Hope you got my point.

Please, DO NOT take my remarks personally in any way.

I agree with your analysis of American society and I am on your side as a friend. My remarks aren’t about you or other people doing similar job. They are about society as I see it now, and I am trying just to make a connection between your posts and a job that you are interested in (I am also somewhat, but not in professional way).

You made good and deep phylosophical analysis about terms such as are freedom, equality and “american dream”.

Many times you mentioned the word “perception”. Someone said that “perception is everything” and I agree. As a result, there are many illusions as well, I think…

I could go on and on, but I will stop for now and left it for another time.

Regards,

John.

We in the U.S. are still very far from equality of opportunity, especially if you consider equal access to quality education and capital as necessary aspects of opportunity.

Some focus on equality of result is essential when results become as skewed as they have in the last 10-20 years. Some inequality of result is inevitable due to many variables in talent, motivation, etc., but many other variables (e.g., parental wealth) have significant impact.

Asking the question assuming a hypothetical perfection of equal perception and equal opportunity that yields highly unequal results, with many struggling to subsist and a few being wealthy beyond their ability to spend their money, I would give the “socialist,” spread-the-wealth response that in some manner there should be not enforced equal results, but provision of a “floor” to the citizenry, such that children in a wealthy country don’t go hungry and poor people don’t die young of curable conditions because of inability to afford treatment. I sincerely hope that’s where we are headed, and that this can be achieved without eliminating incentives all up the line.