Sowing for the Future

My agricultural consultant just stopped by for a chat. He thinks it's time to plant again, but I'm a bit gun-shy. Understandably, I think.

"My beautiful crops, George!" I complained. "Devastated by locusts!"

"An unfortunate, but natural, occurrence," George wheedled. "You can't let it throw you. Man lives by agriculture! "

"But the thing is," I replied, "and correct me if I'm wrong, the locusts were in charge of agriculture for the whole country."

"Well, of course, the locusts were in charge," George admitted. "Agriculture is a very complex, abstruse discipline. Locusts are the quintessential experts on agriculture."

"Um, I suppose that's true, in a sense," I said diplomatically. "But not in any sense that would encourage you to entrust your crops to them."

"Sure, mistakes were made," said George dismissively, "but now it's time to put that behind you. Agriculture is coming back! All the other farmers are planting! Fantastic harvests lie ahead!"

"Hmm. That's what you told me last time. " I cocked an eyebrow. "Has anyone exterminated the damn locusts?" I asked.

"No," said George. "Of course not."

"But they've been replaced by creatures that are not locusts," I suggested.

"Well, ... no," said George. "Agriculture is too difficult for non-locusts."

"Ah, they must have been replaced by different locusts, at least?"

"Nope," said George. "Same locusts."

"Ah, but we now have laws to prevent them from scarfing down all our crops?"

"Not as such," said George.

"So the same locusts that ate my last crops are still in charge," I observed. "There is nothing to restrain them. They have no reason to change their behavior. What, exactly, is my motivation for planting?"

George seemed genuinely puzzled. "But it's all different now," he explained. "It could never happen again."