Security

Angkor has always held a special fascination for me, basically because of the sheer magnitude of the Site. It was developed over the Period 800-1500s A.D. The entire area was greater than modern day Los Angeles, and there is still some debate on whether they possessed the technology of the Wheel. The Water system developed not only served as Irrigation, but undoubtedly as a Transportation network similar to Venice today. There may be some question as to whether Angkor could be defined as a City in the modern sense, when the major industries were Agriculture, Transportation, and Marketing. The real economic contention I would make here lies in the fact that a very advanced Market economy had to exist during this Period, for the Complex to have been completed in the first place.

I would suggest that at least One-Half of the Angkor Population had to be engaged in Agriculture, to meet the Nutrient requirements of the Million+ population. About Twenty Percent of the Population seem destined to find Employment in Canal, or Waterworks, Management. An additional Twenty Percent needed to be engaged in Transportation itself, in order to ensure the flow of commercial Products. The remaining Population would have been employed in Service Trades and Marketing. The Market system may have developed haphazardly on a spotty basis, but it would have taken a strong Central Authority to allocate the Resources necessary for River diversion and Canal digging. The element most interesting here comes from the fact that the strong Central Authority must not have interrupted the Market system drastically through the long Period of Angkor’s existence, as indications express that a huge Population existed there for many Centuries, and State Planning could not have been effective for such a length of Time.

Scientists on Site believe the decline of Angkor resulted from deforestation. Such Concept seems most unlikely to me. A Central Authority in place for Centuries would already have integrated principles of proper forestry. Major Silt deposits would have passed through the Complex every year because of the Monsoons. It would have been the duty of the Waterworks labor to clear the canals yearly. My best bet would be that the previous Central Authority was replaced by Conquest or Revolt, and this later Authority interfered with Market and Labor dispositions. The depopulation of Site under these Conditions may have been rapid, even accomplished within a decade.

Angkor may best serve as Example of the dangers of rapid Change in the economic landscape, even under the best of Intentions. Free Trader principles Today has rapidly been eroding the Manufacturing capacity which built the American economy, while Welfare provisions and current Wage dispersions for Labor express a discrimination against Manuel and Trade employment. Educators avoid any concentration on basic Trade skills–how many Students know what a Board Foot consists of by dimension? Could We shut off Our computers for one day and survive? The Future will be bright and glorious, but We should keep Our feet firmly on the ground. lgl