I think lack of long-term contract enforcement is one part of it—the US congress routinely passes laws with immediate costs and delayed revenue, and then either continually postpones or changes it’s mind on the delayed part (while keeping the immediate part). I’d classify it as much as deception as of lack of enforcement. It’s compounded by the fact that the composition of the government changes a bit every 2 years, but the fundamental problem is that “enforcement” is necessary, because “alignment” doesn’t exist.
Trying to go meta and enforce far-mode stated values rather than honoring near-mode actual behaviors is effectively forcing people into doing what they say they want, as opposed to inferring what they actually want. I’m actually sympathetic to that tactic, but I do recognize that it’s coercion (enforcement of ill-considered contract) rather than actual agreement (where people do what they want, because that’s what they want).
I think lack of long-term contract enforcement is one part of it—the US congress routinely passes laws with immediate costs and delayed revenue, and then either continually postpones or changes it’s mind on the delayed part (while keeping the immediate part). I’d classify it as much as deception as of lack of enforcement. It’s compounded by the fact that the composition of the government changes a bit every 2 years, but the fundamental problem is that “enforcement” is necessary, because “alignment” doesn’t exist.
Trying to go meta and enforce far-mode stated values rather than honoring near-mode actual behaviors is effectively forcing people into doing what they say they want, as opposed to inferring what they actually want. I’m actually sympathetic to that tactic, but I do recognize that it’s coercion (enforcement of ill-considered contract) rather than actual agreement (where people do what they want, because that’s what they want).
Good example: the US tried to go metric and then canceled its commitment.