The Food Court Economy

I don't normally post glowingly complimentary comments. But I just want to thank you for this article. The metaphor is perfect. I intend to use it to explain a number of econ basics to my wife that I've (thus far) failed to adequately convey...

But wait? Can I do this? Am I violating your intellectual property rights by re-using the metaphor that you created? Do I have your permission? Explicitly or implicitly? Do I need it? What are reasonable bounds on intellectual property? Should there be any bounds?

This is already a strong trend in business organizations. If you include management skills in what you call intellectual property it is what is now driving much of what is going on in business organizations. A modern firm takes something from a researcher in Europe, combines it with production in China, and distribution in North America to bring a product to market.

Isn't this exactly what you are talking about.

Moreover, the internet is making the modern era organization more efficient and moving the economy closer to the economists perfect competition model.

which add variety, efficiency, and pleasure to the Food Court. This is the process of economic growth.

Given constant obesity aren't we eating the same food?

toward greater importance for research and testing, with relatively less importance to physical plant and equipment

How does research and testing convert to a usable good without physical plant and equipment? By and large efficiency increases should be equal.