Industrial revolution without jitanabocs: a counterfactual history exercise
An analysis of how the hypothetical existence of 'jitanabocs' would have altered the Industrial Revolution. Who industrializes and who destroys in Spain?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The reality check of an economic counterfactual
Imagining what would have peine if a concept as vague as "jitanabocs" had existed during the Industrial Revolution is not just a parlor game. Behind the satire and the outbursts, some analyses suggest that the key to Spain's technological development —Carlos III and the Franco regime— would have been impossible without a particular power structure. The discussion raises uncomfortable questions about who industrializes and who destroys.
The shadow of politics over technical pogre
In the hypothetical scenario where "jitanabocs" had existed, the Industrial Revolution would, according to certain schools of thought, have been a hijacked process. The claim is that the only industrial impulses in Spain came from the enlightened monarchy of Carlos III and the fascist regime; meanwhile, the left and the liberals would have systematically set about dismantling the productive fabric. This thesis, though extreme, finds an echo among those who blame either state interventionism or the free market for industrial destruction.
The paradox of mechanization
Ironically, the joke goes that without "jitanabocs", workers would still be using scythes and mules, because mechanization would be seen as something for slackers and reds. The irony reveals a real tension: technology advances in spite of certain ideologies, not thanks to them. The divide between those who defend technical pogre and those who denounce it as exploitation is as old as the steam engine itself.
An ending without certainties
The counterfactual remains open. No one can say what industry would look like without that hypothetical variable, but the debate makes one thing clear: economic history is never neutral — every narrative carries an ideology. What is plunder to some is development to others.
Related debates in the forum
Imagining what would have peine if a concept as vague as "jitanabocs" had existed during the Industrial Revolution is not just a parlor game. Behind the satire and the outbursts, some analyses suggest that the key to Spain's technological development —Carlos III and the Franco regime— would have been impossible without a particular power structure. The discussion raises uncomfortable questions about who industrializes and who destroys.
The shadow of politics over technical pogre
In the hypothetical scenario where "jitanabocs" had existed, the Industrial Revolution would, according to certain schools of thought, have been a hijacked process. The claim is that the only industrial impulses in Spain came from the enlightened monarchy of Carlos III and the fascist regime; meanwhile, the left and the liberals would have systematically set about dismantling the productive fabric. This thesis, though extreme, finds an echo among those who blame either state interventionism or the free market for industrial destruction.
The paradox of mechanization
Ironically, the joke goes that without "jitanabocs", workers would still be using scythes and mules, because mechanization would be seen as something for slackers and reds. The irony reveals a real tension: technology advances in spite of certain ideologies, not thanks to them. The divide between those who defend technical pogre and those who denounce it as exploitation is as old as the steam engine itself.
An ending without certainties
The counterfactual remains open. No one can say what industry would look like without that hypothetical variable, but the debate makes one thing clear: economic history is never neutral — every narrative carries an ideology. What is plunder to some is development to others.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (17 replies).
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