Sustainable Wealth Creation and Economic Advantage

A colony's economic advantage through plundering is not sustainable wealth creation. Taking without paying may provide material benefits in the short term, but it doesn't lead to persistent material well-being. True wealth comes from growth and persistent material well-being that is widespread across the population. The confusion often arises from a misunderstanding of the difference between stocks (things at a point in time) and flows (things that persist over time) in the economy.