
How wars, plagues, and urban disease propelled Europe’s rise to riches - bd
http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/3823
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jacquesm
This article almost reads like a synopsis of 'guns, germs and steel' by Jared
Diamond.

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bayareaguy
While the article claims to explain the emergence of a income gap by the
presence of war and disease, I believe it only shows how easily arguments
based on simplistic economic theories can confuse correlation with causation.

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kingkongrevenge
This only explains why Europeans had a relatively higher standard of living
over the centuries. It does not offer an explanation for why Europe shot ahead
of the rest of the world spectacularly in the 19th century.

That question is addressed in A Farewell to Alms. It will never get much
popular air time because the conclusion is basically eugenic forces. The most
economically productive people had the most children in Europe, and this was
not true in the rest of the world.

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foldr
See here for a critical review of the book:
[http://www.firstthings.com/print/article/2007/09/001-economi...](http://www.firstthings.com/print/article/2007/09/001-economics-
as-eugenics-41?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=500&width=700)

