7 - Anatomy, physiology and pathology of a State - lungs
In this series of posts we are using a human body as a similitude for a State.
Among many organs and tissues, which ones better correspond to specific State apparatuses?
Which parallelism can we draw between them?
Here we will look at lungs and their counterparts in a State, first by reviewing how they are structured - anatomy - , then how they work - physiology - and eventually what happens when they get disfunctional - pathology.
At the microscopical level, lungs are composed by myriads of small chambers (alveoli) where air is met by secreted fluid - pulmonary surfactant - and then allowed to interact with blood in many separate instances. Similarly, money from investments enters economy from many sources in ways dependent and/or independent from each other.
Macroscopically, lungs can be mechanically expanded and contracted to renew oxygen availability. Likewise, a State can actively encourage and attract investments by a variety of means - loosening burocracy and taxation, by opening markets, and so on.
We already described how trade - as in money exchange over goods or services - is the heart of money circulation. And yet, by itself trade does not introduce new money in the economy. External investments are a powerful boost to economy that still has to be balanced. Too little and economy will become excessively self-reliant, like an asphyxiated body; too much and the State will lose strategic assets and disrupt territory-based economy, becoming subject to international speculation. It would be like a person hyperventilating.
Notably, the capacity to invest does not necessarily come from out of the system - like from foreign capitals. Re-investments from within a national economy are fundamental for it to function. This is another point where our similitude does not exactly describe the context. However, it still has some merit in highlighting how nationalization of capitals and autarchy would reflect on the system. If all investments, productions and trade have to become limited within the State, like a people in apnea, economy would become increasingly static to the point of suffocating itself. An attempt at complete economic insulation is bound to become such economically inefficient to be ultimately impossible.
No human body can survive without drawing oxygen from air like no State can survive without external - foreign - capitals.
Tuberculosis is an infective chronic disease. It is caused by a Mycobacterium that grows slowly within lungs and is also resistant to therapies. As the disease progress, the bacterial growth combined with the inflammatory reaction against it disrupt the lung tissue. This result in alveoli being lost, reducing the possibility to uptake oxygen. Thus, we have an external agent that alters the anatomy of the system and impairs its function. What would it be in the context of a State in crisis? We can compare that to international speculation directed at diverting funds and capitals from supporting the State economy - in public and/or private forms.
Lung cancers are an ensemble of neoplasia with various cellular origins. Of course they share the lung as the location of the primary tumor, all negatively impacting respiratory function. Tumors are pathologies originating from within the body. Mutated cells losing growth regulations can duplicate themselves indefinitely, independently from the needs of the tissue they belong to. Tumoral cells do not act towards survival of the whole body - they ignore it, even damaging it, to prioritize their own survival. Growing unchecked within the lung, a tumor ends up obstructing the respiratory ways. Then, which factor of an international economic crisis, affecting capitals and investments, can we equate to a lung tumor? A pathology arising from within, the result of normal components of the body losing control: in economy, for instance, exaggerated taxation and overbearing burocracy for external funds, excessive antagonistic competion from internal sources, aggressive nationalization of business or protectionism. All these aspects can be parts of a virtuous system if correctly balanced; if misregulated, with no regard for the system as a whole, they turn deleterious to the aspects they are turned at - investments, funds and foreign capitals in the case we are examining here.
Of course, tumors in other organs will have different symptoms - as in different ways to impact the functioning of the State. Still, all tumors start as parts of the body that lose regulations - this will always be the basis to describe any type of tumor in our examples and comparisons.
The capability to attract foreign capitals is directly proportional to how healthy the economy is perceived. The State regulations and adaptations about that are themselves part of the mechanisms that should keep the economy healthy and ultimately thriving. Those many regulations and adaptions have to be monitored and managed carefully. Otherwise, a way to advantage the economy can rapidly turn to a liability and a critical disadvantage.
Among many organs and tissues, which ones better correspond to specific State apparatuses?
Which parallelism can we draw between them?
Here we will look at lungs and their counterparts in a State, first by reviewing how they are structured - anatomy - , then how they work - physiology - and eventually what happens when they get disfunctional - pathology.
Anatomy - Lungs oxygenate blood like investments
supplement economy with new money
 |
from http://hyperpshysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/
hbase/Biology/respir.html
|
We already
compared blood to money, specifying that blood flow is required to sustain
cells as money circulation sustains people. Lungs create the conditions for
blood oxygenation, thus allowing it to deliver oxygen to cells. When
considering economy and society, investments act
like lungs by fueling the system with new money.
At the microscopical level, lungs are composed by myriads of small chambers (alveoli) where air is met by secreted fluid - pulmonary surfactant - and then allowed to interact with blood in many separate instances. Similarly, money from investments enters economy from many sources in ways dependent and/or independent from each other.
Macroscopically, lungs can be mechanically expanded and contracted to renew oxygen availability. Likewise, a State can actively encourage and attract investments by a variety of means - loosening burocracy and taxation, by opening markets, and so on.
Physiology - Investements are necessary at a balanced
rate – do not suffocate and do not hyperventilate
Respiratory and circulatory
system are deeply inter-connected. Lungs and heart are related in their
ultimate function - deliver oxygenated blood to cells - and yet separate, as
investments are from trade.
We already described how trade - as in money exchange over goods or services - is the heart of money circulation. And yet, by itself trade does not introduce new money in the economy. External investments are a powerful boost to economy that still has to be balanced. Too little and economy will become excessively self-reliant, like an asphyxiated body; too much and the State will lose strategic assets and disrupt territory-based economy, becoming subject to international speculation. It would be like a person hyperventilating.
 |
from https://www.intheblack.com
|
Notably, the capacity to invest does not necessarily come from out of the system - like from foreign capitals. Re-investments from within a national economy are fundamental for it to function. This is another point where our similitude does not exactly describe the context. However, it still has some merit in highlighting how nationalization of capitals and autarchy would reflect on the system. If all investments, productions and trade have to become limited within the State, like a people in apnea, economy would become increasingly static to the point of suffocating itself. An attempt at complete economic insulation is bound to become such economically inefficient to be ultimately impossible.
No human body can survive without drawing oxygen from air like no State can survive without external - foreign - capitals.
Pathology - Tuberculosis and cancer disrupt lung
tissue like not controlled speculation and taxation turn away investments
Many diseases
interest the respiratory system. Depending on their severity, they can reduce
the oxygen available to the body. Since we are focusing our attention to the
lungs and the function they perform, let us review the most disruptive and well
known pathologies interesting them to make our examples.
Tuberculosis is an infective chronic disease. It is caused by a Mycobacterium that grows slowly within lungs and is also resistant to therapies. As the disease progress, the bacterial growth combined with the inflammatory reaction against it disrupt the lung tissue. This result in alveoli being lost, reducing the possibility to uptake oxygen. Thus, we have an external agent that alters the anatomy of the system and impairs its function. What would it be in the context of a State in crisis? We can compare that to international speculation directed at diverting funds and capitals from supporting the State economy - in public and/or private forms.
 |
Alveoli on the upper-left, tumor tissue on the down-right.
from https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/nnl/respiratory/l
ung/metapsqu/index.htm
|
Lung cancers are an ensemble of neoplasia with various cellular origins. Of course they share the lung as the location of the primary tumor, all negatively impacting respiratory function. Tumors are pathologies originating from within the body. Mutated cells losing growth regulations can duplicate themselves indefinitely, independently from the needs of the tissue they belong to. Tumoral cells do not act towards survival of the whole body - they ignore it, even damaging it, to prioritize their own survival. Growing unchecked within the lung, a tumor ends up obstructing the respiratory ways. Then, which factor of an international economic crisis, affecting capitals and investments, can we equate to a lung tumor? A pathology arising from within, the result of normal components of the body losing control: in economy, for instance, exaggerated taxation and overbearing burocracy for external funds, excessive antagonistic competion from internal sources, aggressive nationalization of business or protectionism. All these aspects can be parts of a virtuous system if correctly balanced; if misregulated, with no regard for the system as a whole, they turn deleterious to the aspects they are turned at - investments, funds and foreign capitals in the case we are examining here.
Of course, tumors in other organs will have different symptoms - as in different ways to impact the functioning of the State. Still, all tumors start as parts of the body that lose regulations - this will always be the basis to describe any type of tumor in our examples and comparisons.
In conclusion…
External
investments are fundamental to maintain a State economy dynamic, competitive
and growing.
The capability to attract foreign capitals is directly proportional to how healthy the economy is perceived. The State regulations and adaptations about that are themselves part of the mechanisms that should keep the economy healthy and ultimately thriving. Those many regulations and adaptions have to be monitored and managed carefully. Otherwise, a way to advantage the economy can rapidly turn to a liability and a critical disadvantage.
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