|
Steve, we are dealing with a situation that humanity has never before dealt with. None of the old models fit. I see a winnowing of producers, across the board, as abundance takes hold in those areas. The survivors will fall into 2 categories, those who do it for the love of it, and those who are a screaming marketing machine. (Note I didn't say better producers, just better marketers.) Marketing will be everything.
Think of water in the US. Which is the closest thing to abundance we have. Water from the tap cost less than a cent a gallon. But massive marketing convinces people to pay over a $1.00 a liter for 2 cents worth of plastic and a quarter cent worth of water. (plus 50 cents a bottle of advertising.)
Or think of Linux. Microsoft and Apple have each spend billions over time, developing and re-developing their operating systems, for which they charge a pretty penny, over and over again. Linux is free, plus volunteer work is cheerfully accepted. (Or any other Open Source software). Microsoft and Apple are in a "Red Queen's Race" to stay ahead of this free competition. The problem of dealing with abundance, again.
Abundance will only be stopped if you destroy the technology that supports it. And to do that is a cost too high, even for the people wanting to destroy it.
|