The Predictable Fate of Kibbutzim

In a blog post not long ago, I commended the enormous strides in economic growth that Israel has made through cutting edge innovation and formation of firms that create technology. In fairness, while applauding the lessons that Israel's development miracle implied, one should have mentioned the anachronism inherent in its Kibbutz settlements. In an article in the Israeli paper Haaretz here, it is reported that the Kibbutizm system has finally collapsed in spite of great subvention from over at least three decades.

Omer Moav, a professor of economics explains that most of the Kibbutz were doomed to failure because they failed to account for individual quest for advancement. So while they provided security and stable social structures, they suffered a natural erosion by the departure of younger members. Over time, it was palpable that in spite of the ideological inclination that some may have held, the collapse of the socialist system before their eyes was the irrefutable signal of the need to change. If only those who bear political influence could be easily persuaded by empirical evidence!