Henry is a friend and I haven't read _Debt_ yet (though it's in the bedside pile), but, yeah.

"although the discussion of socially embedded exchange is incredibly interesting and illuminating, I think anyone who reads the passage above is going to end up sympathising with the people in the economics department who say that you really can’t organise a modern industrial society on the basis of organising a wife-swapping party every time you want to buy a blanket."

Indeed. (Let me add that the idea of explaining the US current account deficit as imperial tribute is an idea which occurs to many bright, cynical 19 year olds, but just does not work when you think it through.)