Potato theorem
The potato theorem is the expression “Now the potatoes are there, now they are also eaten”, in the sense that a need is satisfied that did not exist at all, but was only created afterwards. The potato theorem is a kind of modern peasant rule of economics, which, often quoted, cannot be assigned to any direct source. It is often attributed to the author Rolf Breitenstein , who wrote the book Das Kartoffel-Theorem. The real connection between production and consumption in the economy or what is on the table is also eaten published.
The potato theorem can be found in numerous variations in quotations:
- "Now the potatoes are there, now they are also eaten".
- "Now the potatoes are on the table, now they will be eaten too!"
- "The potato is on the table, so it has to be eaten."
- "What is on the table is eaten!"
Etc…
In its most common meaning, the potato theorem alludes to the relatively late introduction of the potato as a food crop in Europe. Although the plant was introduced to Europe as early as 1555, it was initially used as an ornamental plant in botanical gardens because of its rarity . Large-scale cultivation only began at the beginning of the 18th century. The potato theorem suggests that it was not the appetite for potatoes that led to their introduction, but rather the introduction of the potato as a food crop arouses the appetite, a process that could be described as “creating a market”.
In this sense, the above. Variations that emphasize the compulsion to eat represent a distortion of the meaning of the potato theorem.
The potato theorem is very often used as a template for transfers or exaggerations, for example:
- "Now we have made the rule, now it must also be applied."
- The potato theorem as a world law ( Rudolf Engen ): "Now the planet earth is here, now it is also being processed into a national product ."
literature
- Rudolf Engen, Die Welt, ein ErdApfel , Die Zeit, January 3, 1992 ( [2] )
- Rolf Breitenstein, The Potato Theorem - The true connection between production and consumption in our economy , Nov. 1982, Econ, Munich, ISBN 3-430-11524-8