<<It seems to me that you've given an example of an irreducibly complex
system that is clearly not designed in the way design is used by anyone
on this reflector, whether they be special creationist, progressive
creationist,theistic evolutionist, or evolutionary creationist.>>
Actually, I think Glenn has described a theistic evolutionary model here. What
happened with our economy is that it was designed to develop upward. See,
e.g., Henry Grady Weaver, "The Mainspring of Human Progress."
What happened was that a lot of intelligence (e.g., Adam Smith) went into the
design of the system, in order to unleash the powers of creativity and wealth
production.
Here is where Glenn's analogy breaks down. Take away one part of the system,
and it will figure out a new way around it. It is not "irreducibly complex" in
the way biological systems are.
Still, Glenn's illustration is in line with a Van Tillian "gapless
developmental economy" point of view (TE). And, in the economic realm, it
works.
In the biological realm? Sure it could. God could design such a system. Did
he? Ah, there's the rub.
Jim