Wojtek Sokolowski:
> That is the perennial short term versus long term thing. In the short run,
> centralization usually carries certain human cost because, as you correctly
> observed, it often involves coercion. But in the long- run centralization
> pays off to both centralizers and centralizees - they benefit from
> technological superiority, high culture, economies of scale, higher
> standards of living, and greater security.
>
> As far as those who escaped centralizations are concerned - their may live
> a happy and care free lives for a while, but then they are swallowed by
> those who did centralize and do not live long enough to tell us about the
> benefits of a blissfully idyllic decentral tribal or small town life.
I agree that centralization confers military benefits on the survivors, or at least their ruling classes. If some method of breaking up or deflecting militarism and slavery could be evolved, however, then I doubt it centralization would have any purpose. In fact, it would probably be impossible, since as I say people not only fail to volunteer for it but generally resist it vigorously.
-- Gordon