Inter-bellum instability

In the inter-war period the over-abundance of agricultural produce de-stabilized many national economies that depended on agriculture for their proper functioning. Inflation that resulted from the payment of reparations coupled with the irresponsible use of national currencies also disrupted the economies of many Europe nations. Altogether, market-based systems were unable to adjust to the disequilibrating forces that came from an improper use of future resources relative to present demand. Desert-based apportionment might well have served the post-WWI economic order better than fairness-based market allocations. The basic problem in post-WWI Europe was the sense of vengeance between the former combatants that made the peace merely an extension of the war rather than an opportunity to collaborate toward a more durable peace. Lex talionis is a dubious standard for international relations. The world needs to understand punitive justice at the international level more finely than it presently does. What desert really looks like as between the ruling elite versus the general populations in question is very much an open question.