Economy Version 3.5
(I know the content below may be well played out already, but bear with me and let me be the last person to make this point. Sometimes, when I write, it’s not to instruct others but simply to get my head around a concept. Some people formulate their thoughts by saying them out loud, others by sketching them out. Me, I like to post them on my blog.)
Economy Version 1.0 in this country was an agricultural economy. The dominant resource was land, which was obviously an exclusive asset, in that two people couldn’t have access to it from an ownership standpoint. It was also a immobile asset, in that you couldn’t move it around and instantaneously multiply it; it just was there.
Economy Version 2.0 in this country was an industrial economy. The dominant resource was capital, which was still an exclusive asset, in that two people couldn’t have access to it from an ownership standpoint. However, it was a less immobile asset, in that you could move it around and multiply it, although somewhat clunkily.
Economy Version 3.0 in this country was an information economy. The dominant resource was data, which was becoming a less exclusive asset, in that two people could simultaneously have access to it. It was also a far more mobile asset, in that you could move it around quite easily. Ease of movement also meant you could marshal a lot of it, which made up for the fact that you couldn’t technically multiply it.
Economy Version 3.5 in this country is a knowledge economy. The dominant resource is knowledge, which is not hardly an exclusive asset at all, in that multiple people can and do have simultaneous access to it. It also a multipliable asset, in that knowledge can and does beget more knowledge.
In 1.0, the rich owned the land and the poor worked it. Those were kind and progressive in thinking made sure to leave portions of land for the poor to work for themselves. In 2.0, the rich owned the capital and bought machinery that the poor worked. Those who were kind and progressive in thinking made sure to regulate industry such that the rich couldn’t abuse the poor in their dominance of management and finance. In 3.0 and 3.5, the rich-poor divide is defined by access to information and by knowledge. Given that data and brainpower is easier to move and multiply than land and capital, what will those who are kind and progressive in thinking do to make sure that data and brainpower is better distributed between rich and poor?
(I know the content below may be well played out already, but bear with me and let me be the last person to make this point. Sometimes, when I write, it’s not to instruct others but simply to get my head around a concept. Some people formulate their thoughts by saying them out loud, others by sketching them out. Me, I like to post them on my blog.)
Economy Version 1.0 in this country was an agricultural economy. The dominant resource was land, which was obviously an exclusive asset, in that two people couldn’t have access to it from an ownership standpoint. It was also a immobile asset, in that you couldn’t move it around and instantaneously multiply it; it just was there.
Economy Version 2.0 in this country was an industrial economy. The dominant resource was capital, which was still an exclusive asset, in that two people couldn’t have access to it from an ownership standpoint. However, it was a less immobile asset, in that you could move it around and multiply it, although somewhat clunkily.
Economy Version 3.0 in this country was an information economy. The dominant resource was data, which was becoming a less exclusive asset, in that two people could simultaneously have access to it. It was also a far more mobile asset, in that you could move it around quite easily. Ease of movement also meant you could marshal a lot of it, which made up for the fact that you couldn’t technically multiply it.
Economy Version 3.5 in this country is a knowledge economy. The dominant resource is knowledge, which is not hardly an exclusive asset at all, in that multiple people can and do have simultaneous access to it. It also a multipliable asset, in that knowledge can and does beget more knowledge.
In 1.0, the rich owned the land and the poor worked it. Those were kind and progressive in thinking made sure to leave portions of land for the poor to work for themselves. In 2.0, the rich owned the capital and bought machinery that the poor worked. Those who were kind and progressive in thinking made sure to regulate industry such that the rich couldn’t abuse the poor in their dominance of management and finance. In 3.0 and 3.5, the rich-poor divide is defined by access to information and by knowledge. Given that data and brainpower is easier to move and multiply than land and capital, what will those who are kind and progressive in thinking do to make sure that data and brainpower is better distributed between rich and poor?
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