Dec 12, 2023·edited Dec 12, 2023Liked by Doctor Hammer
If you _had_ a functional elite, and it wasn't in the protection business, you might predict it did things such as discover crop rotation, invent the horse collar, and the plough, experiment with novel crops imported from some place far away, build aqueducts and irrigation systems, and invent sanitation. You get more prosperity by making the labour more productive. I take it nothing like this was mentioned?
Remember over 100 years ago when we invented refrigeration and cheap energy? That was cool. :)
This sounds a bit similar to David Graeber‘s contention that money precedes barter.
If you _had_ a functional elite, and it wasn't in the protection business, you might predict it did things such as discover crop rotation, invent the horse collar, and the plough, experiment with novel crops imported from some place far away, build aqueducts and irrigation systems, and invent sanitation. You get more prosperity by making the labour more productive. I take it nothing like this was mentioned?
Malthus used insect populations to come to his conclusions about overpopulation and resource consumption.
Because y'know, humans are just like insects in the way the relate to their environment... : P
You have a marvelous knack for explaining economics in easy-to-understand terms. I plan to plagiarize you shamelessly.