That view of things denies the possibility that people would have found alternative solutions to problems if the abusive solution didn't exist. In a word, it's

That view of things denies the possibility that people would have found alternative solutions to problems if the abusive solution didn't exist. In a word, it's short-sighted. Competition tends to drive otherwise viable strategies to extinction if a much easier one exists, and getting rid of that dominant strategy can allow alternative strategies to thrive.