From: Michael Cule (mikec@room3b.demon.co.uk)
Date: Tue 17 Sep 1996 - 02:52:38 EEST
mr happy (nice name) points out that despite the problems I pointed out to
him, farming of taxes remained the common way of doing things.
Well, the problem comes down to communication and the speed and ease thereof
and the advantages of not having to pay for permanent staff from government
funds. Once speed of communication picks up it becomes possible to have a more
centralised government structure in which things aren't delegated so much to
possibly unreliable local big-wigs and merchants. The Lunar Empire clearly has
fast and reliable magical communications.
Of course they also have the problems that come from centralisation: the
central government having to be consulted about everything (so hard to get
anything done when the Emperor is constipated again....) and the central
government interfering at vital moments ("Quick, get Fazzur to send half his
regiments back. What? No, I'm sure the problem in the Redlands is far more
important than his piddling campaign against some hill barbarians. The Orlanthi
are a spent force anyway....")
- --
Michael Cule
Actor and Genius
AKA Theophilus Prince Archbishop of the Far Isles
Motto Nulla Spes Sit in Resistando (Resistance is Uslesss)
Ask me about the Far Isles Medieval Society:
Better Living through Pan-Medieval Anachronisms.
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