[YugyDugan]

Is it not obvious that scarcity provides the harsh and unforgiving conditions for the natural selection of positive traits?

Taking Europe, for example, our ancestors would not have survived without their adaptation to the climate and its consequences, breeding cooperation, empathy, industry, invention, efficiency, etc. A frivolous, impulsive, unintelligent people seeking immediate gratification would not have survived the winter.

[_nalply]

True but a bit too simple I think.

In the article the Dutch disease is mentioned. It has three effects:

1. It makes the other exports less competitive (why bother with abundant resources?)

2. Imports financed by natural resources revenues increase, appreciating the currency (a double whammy for exports)

3. This causes a shift away from manufacture and similar industries rendering the economy more dependent on natural resources

I also think natural resources can be grabbed by individuals more easily than the skilfulness of a people leading to higher income inequality.

[n4r9]

> cooperation, empathy, industry, invention, efficiency, etc. A frivolous, impulsive, unintelligent people seeking immediate gratification ...

Are these things that can be naturally selected for?

[YugyDugan]

You stopped reading just shy of your answer:

>...would not have survived the winter.

[n4r9]

What I mean is, it's not clear that those traits are sufficiently genetic in basis for natural selection to occur. There may be more of a cultural incentive to encourage those traits.

[YugyDugan]

Of course there's a strong genetic component. For an extreme demonstration, no amount of cultural pressure is going to prompt the emergence of these attributes in a population of watermelons or earthworms.

[n4r9]

I agree that you need to code for some level of intelligence in the first place. But I think you need to go further and show that there is genetically-driven variation in those traits among humans. Otherwise it may be that the variation is due to socialisation or epigenetic factors.