Ron, if you're going to shift between descriptive ('what happens') and normative ('what ought to happen') at will, it's going to make it basically impossible to argue with you.

You began by challenging Jim's statement that 'thousands' had been driven away from folk clubs by the lack of traditional music, on the grounds that if that had happened somebody would have started an equivalent number of traditional clubs. I explained why I didn't think you could assume that anyone would have done.

Your reply seems to consist of saying that what I described shouldn't happen, and I shouldn't assume that it had to. But I agree that it shouldn't happen, and I don't assume that it has to. I'm just saying that it's perfectly realistic to say that, very often, it does. And if it happens enough, you can get the results Jim describes.