This resonates, but also, I'm not convinced anyone can truly understand the workings of any society, or market economy, or what have you.

Who's in control? Everyone is, to some extent. And no one is: when you're hungry for food, are "you" in control of that? You can consciously repress your impulses to go eat something, but your mind didn't create those impulses.

Human societies develop impulses and minds of their own, emerging (weakly) from the impulses and minds that comprise them, and they make decisions in mysterious ways.

Of course, it sure is nice when we can come up with a compelling story for the motivations behind something. Easier said than done…