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The principle that many situations of "scarcity"—not having enough of something—are man-made, not natural. It happens when access to an abundant or sufficiently producible resource is artificially restricted through control, hoarding, legal barriers, or designed obsolescence. The scarcity of the resource is a constructed condition to drive up its value, create competition, and maintain power for those who control the supply. Diamonds aren't rare; their scarcity is carefully constructed by cartels.
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