If distributed works I am all for distributed. But distributed does not always work nor is it always a superior option. Imagine we figure out cold fusion. That will probably always be "centralized", but it could be vastly superior to any other power source we can fathom to imagine.
Honestly, I am an anarchist. I detest hierarchy. I don't like centralization. But let us not make a religion out of it. Let us stay rational.
I think nuclear is the safest viable option we have at this moment. It is not perfect, far from it. It also doesn't mean we should stop funding the research of renewable energy and of energy storage. Quite contrary. But let us not fall for wishful thinking --- look at Germany.
"This is only true insofar as the market is inefficient."
I think you are right. Unions are by definition all about a (a kind of external) negotiating power. Such things have no place in ideal and fully efficient free markets where the prices are dictated solely by the demand and the supply.
Either such a market would be robust enough (as in your example) and the union would not be in a longer term viable, or the union would be viable (e.g. some kind of monopoly) thus turning the market into a non-ideal, non-efficient and non-free.
However I am yet to see (or realize that I see) a labor market that would be in any meaningful way close to being efficient and free. The labor markets I see have low liquidity (it is difficult to search and change the work, it takes time to adjust your skills), huge information asymmetry and low transparency, and the most actors are not very "free" (debt, no alternative options...).
That's interesting. But do you have some data to back up your claim or is this just your guess? Because there are two effects at play here: on one hand a kind of a survivorship bias that you mention and on the other hand a positive effect of a healthier environment on a human body. These go against each other and I don't find it obvious to see which one is stronger.
After a quick search I would say the latter is more important here: what we observe from the bones are things like a quality of nutrition (e.g. vitamin deficiencies) or effects of some illnesses. Inadequate nutrition signals poor living condition and illnesses affect even the most "gifted" individuals (don't forget that hardship selects also for other traits than just a good immunity).
I cannot fully agree on this. What is your definition of "shortage"?
From a supply/demand perspective, there is no such thing as a shortage. At least not without further qualifications. Prices adjust so that the demand meets the supply. In theory that should always be possible. Concept of a shortage per se does not have a place in this theory. You can only speak about a shortage/oversupply at a certain price level but such a thing has no significant meaning because that price level is just an arbitrary number.
Thus to speak about a shortage you must add some other components to your model. Those other components will always be partially subjective (i.e., what you want to maximize?) and fairly complicated. (I believe.)
In any case, one could for example argue that there are not enough engineers to fill the roles "needed" in the economy at a sustainable price. (What is "needed", though?) But I am very sceptical about such a claim, considering the huge profits many US companies are making, even the software companies for that matter.
Honestly, I am an anarchist. I detest hierarchy. I don't like centralization. But let us not make a religion out of it. Let us stay rational.
I think nuclear is the safest viable option we have at this moment. It is not perfect, far from it. It also doesn't mean we should stop funding the research of renewable energy and of energy storage. Quite contrary. But let us not fall for wishful thinking --- look at Germany.