Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Cargo Cult

Sounds like a band, but it is actually something I read about by Ludwig Von Mises.

5 comments:

Herr Wilson said...

It's the perfect analogy for government workers who simulate the actions of wealth producers while not actually producing anything of substance. To complete the analogy all we need is for America's actual wealth producers to leave and to have the government workers continue on with their work simulation rituals.

Fidel said...

Captain,
I've had an interest in cargo cults for years.
Something not mentioned in the Wiki article is that some cults started after the very first Europeans made contact with indigenous people. They showed that they came in peace by giving valuables to the natives like beads, knives, a pot or two from their square-rigged ships. This set the scene for 'something for nothing', which is a very pervasive habit for humans to get into.
Their cargo wants have evolved over time. Last I read, they were talking down aircraft loaded with colour TVs and washing machines from their bamboo control towers, using banana as a microphone.

Anonymous said...

Alot of real estate developers and small town city councils fall into this category.

Pat Sullivan said...

There are some good Utubes on the Cargo Cult. It is really a snap shot, of how societies form their religious beliefs. To this day, many of these people still believe in the Cargo Cult. Great planes bring gifts from their ancestors in the sky.
It is both fascinating and rather sad, all at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like keynesianism.