I hereby retract any inference that you might once have been locked in a room with three dark-complected guys (one named Osama bin-A-Smith) given a few shots, had brain removed, laundered and replaced with..

a Marchant calculator replacing the hypothalamus and a bearer bond replacing the pineal gland.

As to the chicken-egg question re *chosen?? mercantile calculus VS [that usually called life], I will continue to assert that there is growing evidence that the calculus does not (what's the phrase.. promote the general welfare). A flawed system has instead permitted a recursive mechanism by which the already fat may, and do, with consummate ease: extract increasing portions of [all there is] both in material and in power/control .. in all nuances.

* was that like: the Social Contract, say?

Since it is axiomatic that the two concepts must mesh, by your definition; it appears we must next and soon:

1) Alter the the crass mercantile number processing, especially with a focus towards curtailing the growing concentration into mega-corps / mini-governments - consequent homogenization of all 'biz-inefficient' differences across many meanings (both things and ideas). OR

2) Reprogram the inhabitants / redefine life so as to better fit this wondrous Free Market chimera-thingie, so beloved of the folk who like generating systems out of math concepts: because they can - and because it's fun to pretend that the map is 'real'ly the territory. (Numbers are so much neater than messy humans.)

Of the two main choices, well ... obviously some might want to do a bit of both. But the trend is toward pure-2) in any suited meetings, when their notes sometimes seep out into the \ufffdther.

Who gets to exercise power? - that is the question. And who among the most-powerful are willing to cede back: that which they have arrogated to selves via the above recursive mechanism, seen so clearly at play re Messrs. Billy n' Bally?

War - as in actual revolution? Anything less.. for the less macho billionaires? Would we have to kill all the market researchers, economists - not just the lawyers? CIEIOs with a bounty? Swiss bank accounts? Hmmm - declare them Terrorists because -- [similar ends].

How do they address such issues in post-grad mercantile courses these days? At all? (My bet: it isn't even on the class list. It's someone Else's problem)
Ahh - under Terraforming, perhaps?



Ashton
still not sure about that pineal, Bill..
You seem to Like 'conserving' this status, pretty quo (?)