Drifting Apart
今日は第6章の途中から第7章の途中、196ページまで。
第6章 Drifting Apart
How institutions evolve over time, often showly drifting apart
ベニスやローマの衰退もマヤなどと同じ視点から説明されます。
...This was the beginning of the end of Venetian prosperity. With the main lines of business monopolized by the increasingly narrow elite, the decline was under way.
Most important, they banned the use of commenda contracts, one of the greta institutional innovations that had made Venice rich. This shouldn't be a surprise: the commenda benefited new merchants, and now the established elite was trying to exclude them. This was just one step toward more extractive economic institutions. Another step came when, starting in 1314, the Venetian state began to take over and nationalize trade. It organized state galleys to engage in trade and, from 1324 on, began to charge individuals higy levels of taxes if they wanted to engage in trade. Long-distance trade became the preserve of the nobility. This was the beginning of the end of Venetian prosperity. With the main lines of business monopolized by the increasingly narrow elite, the decline was under way.
Roman growth was unsustainable, occurring under institutions that were partialy inclusive and partially extractive. Though Roman citizens had political and economic rights, slavery was widespread and very extractive, and the elite, the senatorial class, dominated both the economy and politics. Despite the presence of the Plebeian Assembly and plebeian tribute, for example, real power rested with the Senate, whose members came from the large landowners constituting the senatorial class.
The decline of Rome had causes very similar to those of the Maya city-states. Rome's increasingly extractive political and economic institutions generated its demise because they caused infighting and civil war.
There could be some economic growth without innovation, relying on existing technology, but it was growth without creative destruction.
...the innovation was turned down because of the threat of creative destruction, not so much because of its economic impact, but because of fear of political creative destruction.
Tiberius was happy to destroy the innovation because of the adverse economic effects it would have had. This is the fear of the economic effects of creative destruction.
Another important reason for the lack of technological innovation was the prevalence of slavery. As the territories Romans controlled expanded, vast numbers were enslaved, often being brought back to Italy to work on large estates. Many citizens in Rome did not need to work...
第7章 The Turning Point
How a political revolution in 1688 changed institutions in England and led to the Industrial Revolution.
イギリスの成長軌道への過程。
It would throw people out of work, create unemployment and political instability, and threaten royal power.
The fear of creative destruction is the main reason why there was no sustained increase in living standards between the Neolithic and Industrial revolutions. Technological innovation makes human societies prosperous, but also involves the replacement of the old with the new, and the destruction of the economic privileges and political power of certain people.
