> The economy is not a thing that can "strive" for anything.
Of course it can, it's a component of human society, and societies can "strive".
> Rather, the economy is simply the collection of actions taken by people in the market.
Just like actions of individual humans is "simply" result of actions taken by individual neurons.
> Let's ask, why are those economies successful in the first place?
Sure - Ha-Joon Chang was already mentioned, and I wholeheartedly recommend his books. From his perspective, "free trade" is just one possible economic strategy, that is useful on a certain level of economic development.
> That's a bit condescending, don't you think?
Sometimes deservedly so. If I believed in the rationality of the free market, I would be confused by huge valuations of advertising IT companies.
Anyway, I am not really judging those people, I was just making remark that they are criticized. In fact, I am (almost) one of them, I work for large SW company that does IT support software for big corporations like banks. I would probably prefer to improve software for manufacturing, but the truth is, it just doesn't pay that well as this.
Of course it can, it's a component of human society, and societies can "strive".
> Rather, the economy is simply the collection of actions taken by people in the market.
Just like actions of individual humans is "simply" result of actions taken by individual neurons.
> Let's ask, why are those economies successful in the first place?
Sure - Ha-Joon Chang was already mentioned, and I wholeheartedly recommend his books. From his perspective, "free trade" is just one possible economic strategy, that is useful on a certain level of economic development.
> That's a bit condescending, don't you think?
Sometimes deservedly so. If I believed in the rationality of the free market, I would be confused by huge valuations of advertising IT companies.
Anyway, I am not really judging those people, I was just making remark that they are criticized. In fact, I am (almost) one of them, I work for large SW company that does IT support software for big corporations like banks. I would probably prefer to improve software for manufacturing, but the truth is, it just doesn't pay that well as this.