There's a reason market forces have been around since the dawn of civilization. It's not a physical force like gravity, but the concept of voluntary trade for mutual benefit has been around since Ogg found out that he was very good at chipping arrowheads, and that other tribesmen would bring him meat for them if he stayed home from the hunt and chipped. When the hunters come back empty, Ogg gives them arrowheads anyway for next time. Good customer relations, you know.

It's a natural force in the sense that it's an inherent outgrowth of human nature, and the way human beings work with their environment to survive. It makes the difference between living a Robinson Crusoe lifestyle, doing everything for yourself, or being able to specialize. It is one of the cores of civilization. And when two people make a trade they are both happy with, everyone benefits, and no one is hurt.

Of course, the concept of another tribe kidnapping Ogg and forcing him to chip arrowheads for them is also as old as humanity. For everyone who produces something of value, there's always been someone who thinks that the answer is not to trade, or just ask, but just to take it from them.

Oddly, the arrowheads are never quite as good under these circumstances, and Ogg, kept captive in the cave, keeps his idea for serrated edges to himself.

If you don't want to wallow in macroeconomics, a good rule of thumb for human relations is that if you don't think an action is right between three or four people, it very likely isn't right for a society either.

Those who advocate complex economic analyses sometimes have good points. But sometimes it's just because they don't like the simple answers.