The spectrum describes means by which we act parasitically rather than productively. In a perfect world we only act productively with all parasitism eliminated. (No perfect world is possible I suppose, but it helps illustrate the point.)
Human history from from our consanguineous communal (Bonobo-like) pre-history to our current state as individualist, single-parent, autonomous producers insured through a corporation we call the state, required, first and foremost, the continuous expansion of prohibition on free riding (parasitism) in all its forms, thereby pressing each individual human into the market.
At some point our productivity increased sufficiently that a few people could specialize in thinking.
But today, less than half of the population is actually engaged in productive labor and it’s heading toward a third. So soon, 2/3 of people extant live independent of productive labor.
Given that malthusian limits controlled our population for most of history, it’s pretty impressive that so many people can be sustained by the combination of so few, plus fossil fuels of course.
Or stated otherwise, 2/3 of the people life a life of luxury.
I am not sure, but I cannot find anyone else who has described this system in detail. Very Weberian.
SPECIFIC TERMS:
By Conquest I mean organized (war) and unorganized conquest (immigration, religious invasion, political invasion).
By Conspiratorial I mean organized conspiracies of extraction such as protection rackets including the government.
By moral I mean those extractions (parasitic and non productive) actions we take on third parties.
By ethical I mean those extractions (parasitic and non productive) we take directly on others who are involved with us by non physical action such as lying, cheating, obscuring, fraud, etc.
By criminal I mean those extractions that we take against persons and their property by physical action (violence and theft).