W00T~~!!
\n\n\n\n","content_hash":"sha256:798045e17ecf1c056ccfbca4256e72fc1844859f54830b89240e89a0fcaf75f0","media":[],"transclusions":[{"id":"4k8c15kvnqn4vgrer36rcaxh9f","version":1,"origin":"https://venkateshrao.com/blyg/","cited":{"source":"Venkatesh Rao's Blyg","author":"Venkatesh Rao","excerpt":"Cognitive mercantilism got covered in the Financial Times Swap the word intellig…","url":"https://venkateshrao.com/blyg/t/4k8c15kvnqn4vgrer36rcaxh9f/","retrieved":"2026-11-07T06:57:46Z"}}],"stub_of":{"origin":"https://venkateshrao.com/blyg/","id":"4k8c15kvnqn4vgrer36rcaxh9f","version":1,"cited":{"source":"Venkatesh Rao's Blyg","author":"Venkatesh Rao","excerpt":"Cognitive mercantilism got covered in the Financial Times Swap the word intellig…","url":"https://venkateshrao.com/blyg/t/4k8c15kvnqn4vgrer36rcaxh9f/","retrieved":"2026-11-07T06:57:46Z"}},"changelog":[{"version":1,"at":"2026-11-07T06:57:46Z","note":null}]}Cognitive mercantilism got covered in the Financial Times
\n\n\n\nSwap the word intelligence for wealth, Rao argues, and you are harking back to the conceptual universe of the early 18th century. Cognitive mercantilists, who are more interested in capturing wealth than creating it, view intelligence as a precious resource to be tightly controlled by credentialed professionals. Countries and companies scour the world to collect the best brains and hoard them like gold. Conversely, they dismiss the less intelligent “masses” as depreciating assets at risk of becoming superfluous humans.
\n