logshipper

For anyone looking to read more on the container shortage problem, NYT recently published a great piece on it:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/business/global-shipping....

I could not agree more.

Whereas historically having kids used to be a "social" decision in various respects, it has now become a socio-economic decision for the reasons you point out.

If anything, I would argue that the economic shock of the pandemic (aside from the horror stories you hear from WFH parents who have kids) and the inequality it has exposed in our financial systems has cemented the idea for a lot of middle class millenials to have no kids/fewer kids.

I recently interned in cloud security for a mid-sized firm. In my first week, I spun up a free-tier EC2 for some testing (Only port 22 was open) and soon enough, the logs were full of port scans and unauthorized ssh attempts. It is only then I realized the scale at which malicious parties operate.

Suffice it to say, I was very careful with my filters after that incident.

I suppose there is nothing against well-targeted ads as long as the user has consented to having their data being used for targeted-advertising purposes.

The current landscape, however, does not prioritize user-privacy and serves ads to unsuspecting users who do not always know the terms they agreed to.

Moving away from the present opt-out to an opt-in model would give the user a say in how they would like to be tracked across the web. This is also what Apple is trying to do with its "nutritional-info" (not fanboying Apple here) labels. A user is free to consume the content they would like, but they have a right to know how their data is being used.

In a world where every party was rational, your points would make total and complete sense.

The reality, however is that social media companies with their curated feeds, dopamine buttons, echo chambers, and sheer size can push products to the market that cause detriment to the overall cultural environment. The average Joe does not understand that his Twitter feed is _designed_ to keep him hooked. I bet you, if he knew, he'd have quit long ago.

Your argument essentially posits that opioid addicts be held responsible for their addictions rather than our legal system clamping down on big pharma.

Having spent all my childhood in India, I'm inclined to say yes. Unlike North America's overall individualism, Indian society, in large part relies on a strong sense of community (based either on religion or class). (Of course, there is more nuance to it, and I concede that my statement is, to some extent, an oversimplification.) A direct consequence of this communal feeling then is a mob mentality that is not afraid to play vigilante. The vigilante part is only exacerbated in the absence of a fair policing and judicial system.

There have been multiple cases [1],[2] where a mob has taken matters into their own hands either out of a collective sympathy for the victim [1] or a collective animosity toward the driver [3]. There are many more instances one can find, and at the risk of sounding political, crashing into a cow will get you into more trouble than crashing into people.

[1] https://www.ndtv.com/patna-news/bihar-3-children-sleeping-on...

[2] https://www.ndtv.com/cities/driver-beaten-to-death-after-tru...

[3] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/auto-driver-beate...

> But for an individual, i think the bigger challenge is motivation, discipline, dedication, commitment.

I definitely agree with the above.

I found my way around this by doing weekly check-ins where I report on progress and accordingly formulate strategies for achieving said goals. Those reports are meant for no one but me, but they allow me to:

a) Measure my progress

b) See what's working and what's not

c) Most importantly, hold myself accountable

Such reports are a version of looking myself in the mirror and talking about the week that was, my habits, and the progress (or lack thereof) I made. Furthermore, at least for me, the mere act of writing allows me to crystallize my thoughts on a topic, lends clarity and ultimately provides an infusion of motivation to keep working toward my goals.

Of course, what works for me might not work for someone else, and we all need a different framework based on our individuality, but I hope I was able to add to your point surrounding accountability.

edit: Formatting