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How should a society be judged?
If there is a huge gap between the wealthy and the average person and the least powerful and wealthy, then something is very very wrong. This typically means that wealth is not being distributed fairly, and is being horded by the people at the top. People are being underpaid for their contributions, and people are not being trained in useful marketable skills (i.e. skills people are willing to pay for).
The lack of a safety net, provided by charities and/or the government, is also a red flag.
@scott so, you think that a society where all people are about equally miserable, poor, and sick is better than one where there is some moderate level of inequality, but everyone is physically safe and comfortable and has their emotional and psychological needs met? That doesn't seem right to me.
@alper @scott one thing, when someone says that my framing is incorrect and theirs should be used instead, is that I interrogate their framing.
The idea that absolute wellbeing is unimportant and all that matters is equality is really questionable. I used an extreme example to show how indefensible it is.
I agree that when a society is at the top of the well-being pyramid, a sense of equality becomes more important. I think you could describe it as wellbeing of the average or least, though.
@evan @scott you are now doing straw man combos. Please ask someone you trust to read this thread and get their opinion. You're consistently putting words in other people's mouths. He was adding to the conversation and you gave a straw man response as if he said something really dumb, which he didn't. That's what prompted my response and you responded to me with more of the same.