… is from page 31 of my colleague Tyler Cowen’s important 2002 book, Creative Destruction:
Wealth and technology not only bring the new, they also help cultures preserve and extend the best of their past. Most artistic and musical products from the poorer nations were not made to be especially durable but, rather, were intended for the immediate moment. Lack of durability is common when wealth is low, technologies are few, and short-run survival is a pressing need. Western technologies, however, have enabled many cultural products to last and to reach wider audiences.
