In an attempt to see patterns across domains (which is enabled because Single idea zettels boost brain connections), if you look at economics with Permaculture as a lens, you can see some interesting parallels.

In permaculture, one of the main concepts is to look at the ecology as growing through several stages of Ecological Succession. It starts as plain barren dirt, then goes through prairie, shrubs, and eventually a forest. Each acts a certain way, and serves a specific purpose in laying the groundwork for the next and subsequent stages.

I posit that infant economies also grow through successive stages that lay the groundwork for later stages. I remember both Tom Woods and Stephan Molyneux talking about the (importance of sweat shops #citation) in laying the groundwork for collectively building wealth in a local economy. The point isn't to stay there, but to grow through it.

Just as weeds and prairie grasses are meant to build the soil health (Ecological Succession), so to are sweat shops meant to build enough activity that other enterprises can grow out of the struggle.

#economics #toolong