I tend to subscribe to the view that economics determines society?s politics as well as its social norms. It is a Marxist way to look at the world but there is overwhelming evidence for it. The current conflict in Nepal has strong economic underpinnings, and so does the practice of polyandry. According to Mr. Haviland, polyandry made economic sense for the people in the region and that?s why it has remained intact to this day. But as he points out such practices are waning. Again, there is economic rationale for it. As those remote regions come in contact with economically powerful ?mainstream? Nepal, they?ll try to imitate the latter. That means among other things, discarding the practice of polyandry. That?s not very different from Kathmandu elites trying to imitate western culture and lifestyle; from listening to western music, to eating with spoon-and-fork to wearing low-cut demin jeans to celebrating Valentine?s Day, Haloween, Christmas and Julian New Year.