The System page !1 of !376 THE SYSTEM third revised edition by Andy Turnbull THE SYSTEM third revised edition ISBN 978-0-9938885-2-6 © 2014 by Andy Turnbull Red Ear Publishing, Toronto email [email protected] phone 416 366 2164 Canadian cataloguing in publication data Andy Turnbull, 1937 - The System, revised edition 1. economics 2. current events 3.title THANKS The System page !2 of !376 With thanks to Prof. Anatol Rapoport, who gave me the idea, and to Jane Jacobs for The Economy of Cities. Also, to Donald Tumbull and Bob Yewchuck who read and commented on the manuscript; Andrew Shepherd, who straightened out some of my misconceptions about biology; Prof. James Cunningham, who saved me from at least one grievous error; Caroline Andrews, my life partner, who put up with me while I was writing this Tom Stanley whose investment expertise made it possible for me to spend several years on this project. The System page !3 of !376 CONTENTS CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 PROLOGUE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 THE ARGUMENT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 SYSTEMS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 METASYSTEMS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------18 REAL LIFE EXAMPLES --------------------------------------------------------------------------23 THE NATURE OF SYSTEMS AND METASYSTEMS --------------------------------------24 COMPOUND METASYSTEMS -----------------------------------------------------------------27 WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS --------------------------------------------------------------------29 A METAPHYSICAL LIFE FORM ---------------------------------------------------------------31 LIVING ON AUTOPILOT ------------------------------------------------------------------------34 CONVENTIONAL WISDOM --------------------------------------------------------------------39 THE ROOTS OF EVOLUTION ------------------------------------------------------------------44 THE EVOLUTION OF A METASYSTEM -----------------------------------------------------46 SELF-ORGANIZING SYSTEMS ----------------------------------------------------------------47 HUMAN NATURE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------49 HUNTERS AND GATHERERS ------------------------------------------------------------------54 THE NEOLITHIC AXE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------63 TRADE AND TREASURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------67 THE ARMY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------70 THE MARCH OF THE ARMIES -----------------------------------------------------------------75 THE LUCIFER EFFECT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------77 A NEW WORLD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------79 SOLDIERS AND SLAVES ------------------------------------------------------------------------82 A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ---------------------------------------------84 THE CASH ECONOMY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------87 THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES ------------------------------------------------------------------92 THE NEW ORDER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------94 THE AGRICULTURAL EVOLUTION ----------------------------------------------------------98 A MORE CONVENTIONAL VIEW -----------------------------------------------------------102 The System page !4 of !376 THE AGRICULTURAL DISASTER -----------------------------------------------------------104 FARMS ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE -----------------------------------------------------------110 THE ROOT METASYSTEMS -------------------------------------------------------------------114 THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX -------------------------------------------------115 THE METASYSTEM OF THE TRADERS ----------------------------------------------------116 METASYSTEM OF THE AGENTS ------------------------------------------------------------117 THE METASYSTEM OF RELIGION ----------------------------------------------------------118 THE METASYSTEM OF THE ESTABLISHMENT ----------------------------------------121 GOVERNMENT -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------123 DEMOCRACY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------126 OVERLAP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------130 THE WORLD TODAY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------131 EVOLUTION OF THE FOUR GROUPS ------------------------------------------------------135 THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION -----------------------------------------------------------137 THE METASYSTEM OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE -------------------------------------139 THE STOCK MARKET --------------------------------------------------------------------------141 SAY’S LAW ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------142 GROWTH OF THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX -------------------------------145 THE METASYSTEM OF POLICE -------------------------------------------------------------148 CRIMINAL COURTS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------152 THE METASYSTEM OF THE WAR ON DRUGS ------------------------------------------158 BARNUM’S LAW ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------167 THE PRISON-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX ----------------------------------------------------169 THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT --------------------------------------------------175 THE METASYSTEM OF THE WAR ON TERROR ----------------------------------------180 HOW FARMS RELATE TO THE MIC --------------------------------------------------------185 OTHER CONNECTIONS -----------------------------------------------------------------------186 FOSSIL FUELS AND CLIMATE CHANGE --------------------------------------------------187 THE POWER OF THE MIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------191 GROWTH OF THE METASYSTEM OF AGENTS ------------------------------------------195 THE MANAGERIAL REVOLUTION ---------------------------------------------------------199 MANAGERS IN GOVERNMENT -------------------------------------------------------------205 The System page !5 of !376 SUPPORTING THE AGENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------214 GROWTH OF THE METASYSTEM OF TRADE -------------------------------------------216 GLOBAL POVERTY -----------------------------------------------------------------------------222 BIG BUSINESS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------225 FACTORY FARMS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------227 PESTS, FAMINE AND OTHER DISASTERS ------------------------------------------------230 THE PLAGUE IN YOUR FUTURE ------------------------------------------------------------237 GROWTH OF THE METASYSTEM OF RELIGION ---------------------------------------242 THE METASYSTEM OF EDUCATION ------------------------------------------------------247 SCHOOL SPORTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------255 ADVANCED EDUCATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------257 THE METASYSTEM OF THE MIND BENDERS -------------------------------------------261 THE WAR ON THE FAMILY -------------------------------------------------------------------268 FEMINISM -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------276 THE PLIGHT OF THE CHILDREN -----------------------------------------------------------279 DAY CARE -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------282 PROFITS FROM CONFLICT -------------------------------------------------------------------288 STRATIFICATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------289 NOT PLANNED -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------291 PROPAGANDA RULES -------------------------------------------------------------------------292 THE NEWS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------293 THE MUTE MAJORITY -------------------------------------------------------------------------297 SERVING THE SYSTEM ------------------------------------------------------------------------300 MANAGEMENT BY ENTERTAINMENT ----------------------------------------------------304 CELEBRITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------306 FACTS ABOUT FICTION -----------------------------------------------------------------------309 VIDEO GAMES -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------319 DOING WELL BY DOING GOOD ------------------------------------------------------------320 THE COST OF MEDICINE ---------------------------------------------------------------------328 MEDICAL ETHICS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------331 THE METASYSTEM OF CIVIL LAW --------------------------------------------------------333 THE METASYSTEM OF ASTRONOMY AND SPACE