It Could Happen Here Parasitism with Andrew
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May 13, 2026 A provocative conversation framing humans as parasites and using that lens to trace religion, temple economies, and state formation. They map shifts from early temple power to nation-building, industrial extraction, and globalized corporate networks. The discussion surveys data and attention extraction, geopolitical supply chain fragilities, and possible futures like fragmentation or mutualistic alternatives.
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Systems Behave Like Parasites Not Humans
- Systems we collectively uphold act like parasites even if humans are not parasites.
- Andrew Sage frames parasitism as maintained by interdependence, ideology, and violence, not an inherent human trait.
Three Era Framework Connects Religion To Early Extraction
- MacDonald's three-era framework links theology, politics, economics, and ecology to show changing forms of parasitism.
- The framework groups early recorded civilization into a 'heaven' phase dominated by religiously justified hierarchy.
Temple Complexes Laid Foundations For Economic Exploitation
- Mia Wong recalls Graeber's point that temple complexes created administrative systems that later became economics.
- She notes massive resource flows into temples set the building blocks for later exploitation like credit and taxation.
