Been thinking of bottlenecks. I am pretty sure there is a way to
make all economics into a consideration of bottlenecks. Usually
it seems the bottlenecks are in effect the work of highwayman
corralling you into their nets.
In fact, it might be that "economics" is too small a word.
Politics, too, fall into what I am thinking. Career choices,
the people you know. All this stuff is full of bottlenecks and
often someone put them there.
When an invention is made, it explodes open a field. The field
is soon rounded up and fenced in, but they leave a door that they
control. It doesn't have to be even close to "perfect" control,
and there are many who do the controlling, but they close in
a bit by bit, congesting the traffic at the arteries.
Some bottlenecks are masquerading as horns of plenty, but once
you get in, you realize that it's an all you can eat shit buffet.
And you start getting into situations where no one wins anymore.
Even the ones who get through the door are worse off. Even the
bandits are starving. Double bind after another.
Like, for example, the shit buffet of attention economy. What
the hell you think you get as a result when you occupy everyone's
minds with garbage? When everyone is kept so tightly in check
by peer pressure that no one dares utter an original or even
thruthful thought?
What you get is a society that pulled the hand brake. I bet that
when we look at this time from the future, we see a line of new
generations that did nothing of much value.
