As ezra has observed, this is a demand issue, not a supply issue

This has been happening long before AI : www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-...

For the US context in particular I recommend Wikipedia as a great overview:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_co...

In other words, the evidence behind rent control is very mixed. The evidence that more housing construction (in whatever ways that is achieved) reduces rents (+ 100 other benefits like shorter commutes and better jobs) is just way bigger and more solid.

Rent control can sometimes work in very narrow circumstances when combined with a large supply expansion. On its own it leads to more problems and mostly benefits middle class renters who already had a stable place to live.

Also, if you could find some number on public vs private pharma R&D I'd be very interested. I was not able to find anything in my brief googling.

That is surprisingly kind! Also, Matt-Y is just short for Matthew Yglesias. I was hitting the character limit.

Oil lamps would not have used fossil fuels, but rather vegetable oils or animal fats. Also, as others have pointed out, all machines require lubrication!

US government should do more to reduce drug prices via
1) funding more R&D
2) advanced market commitments for unprofitable drugs
3) collective bargaining
As far as I can tell MattY generally supports these policies.

This feels disingenuous
A) your quote is not a quote
B) If you sell at cost of production there is no money left for R&D
C) MattY explains exactly why he has changed his mind (i.e. politics can do more stuff).
D) He is a huge advocate of foreign aid i.e. reducing drug prices in poor countries

John Green energy

This joke might work both ways:
I am an act-utilitarian, I always do what rule-utilitarianism tells me.

Also his main statement does not contradict your main statement. Two things can be true at once.
1) The American prison system is cruel and bad and needs reform.
2) People doing bad things is bad and should be removed from society (in a way that minimized cruelty and maximizes reintegration)

I can't believe people on the left don't push for luxury space communism anymore.

related ssc slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/10/s...

I can recommend the ZSA Voyager if you are interested in split keyboards

The chart should clearly be inverted across both axes so that better is more up and more to the right smh