The weakest link in a chain sets its limits. One analysis is that land, labor, or capital can limit economic output.
Way back, the limit to economic output was a shortage of labor. One early statement of that theory can be found in the Bible. Mathew 009:037 ... Then saith he unto his disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few." 2000 years ago labor was the weak link, and the work ethic was basic to increasing prosperity. Now, better tools have made land and capital the weaker links, and Mathew 9:37 is totally obsolete. Our age of increasing prosperity has finally allowed reaping almost all of the harvest, and finding many ways to grow the harvest. Now, we have reached a new limit. We can reap most of our plenteous harvest, but it is now apparent that the goose that lays golden eggs is mortal. Our finite planet makes infinite growth impossible. New limits must be acknowledged, but we are stuck with the obsolete theory that human labor is the scarce factor. The work ethic runs deep. Producing and harvesting as much as possible are seen as good, and necessary, People who don't work are seen as very bad. (unless they are rich) Today we want to create jobs, instead of creating a sustainable economic output. We have confused the means with the end. Work is a means to the end of reaping the harvest. The end is to have the grain; not to keep workers busy. Too much harvesting is possible. Our labor just moves stuff around. We confuse harvesting with creation. One bible proverb that is not obsolete explains a lot: Proverbs 016:018, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." What to do? Enjoy being painted into a corner? Deny it all? Accept our insecurity? Just enjoy the time we have left before our terminally ill goose finally dies? Follow Musk to Mars? Laugh at making a (bad) difference like farting in an elevator. Jump out of the frying pan into the fire? We are so so lost in BS and still proud of our folly. Barry -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#40546): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/40546 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/117677430/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
