Re: Remember "Bit-Slice" Chips ?

On Sat, 28 Dec 2024, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote:

On 12/27/24 6:31 AM, D wrote:

  On Fri, 27 Dec 2024, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote:
 

On 12/26/24 11:57 PM, rbowman wrote:

On Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:41:29 -0500, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote:
 

    Read up on the Italian and Greek city-state eras.
    The "town over the hill" was always attacking.

 Thucydides got an Amazon best seller out of it. If the bible can be
believed the tribal god was big on genocide when somebody else was living
on the land he gave you. That hasn't changed a bit.

   Nope. Seems to be a 'human nature' thing ... hardwired
 will to dominance.

 But human nature can be changed! I'm not saying easily, and I'm not saying quickly, but small steps here and there are definitely possible. This is why the theory exists that mankind is not yet ready for socialism... or libertarianism! ;)

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 I'm gonna say "... can be CONFUSED", temporarily ...
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 Things fell apart almost as quickly as they were put
 together. Alliances, sentiments, needs, changed very
 quickly. Kinda 'Game Of Thrones' but without the
 dragons.
  Post-Rome, Europe was a MESS. Only Charlemagne kinda
 glued it together at all - but then almost only by
 the sword. Oddly, I think the Viking invasions did
 more to stabilize things - sort of the 'alien invasion'
 that brought petty gripes and ambitions more onto the
 same wavelength.
  DaVinci's Italy was a constant war between the many
 city states for a long time. The Popes, while
 theoretically the ultimate authorities, instead
 seemed to just profit financially and politically
 from all the chaos and let it go on. Then a
 de Medici became Pope ........

 This is good! A city state does a lot less harm than a modern country.

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 This works well UNTIL some actual 'country' decides
 to show up and take all your stuff.
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 Micro-fragmentation and inter-fragment wars is a big
 part of why Rome was able to take SO much SO quickly.
 Also why the Euros were able to subdue the AmerIndians
 so quickly.

This is why I'm thinking modern weapons technology might have changed the playing field a bit. Nukes and biological warfare, enable a small player to scare a big player. You also have blackmail, but that would require constant and diligent work to keep the compromising information up to date, when new leaders ascend.
Liechtenstein, Monaco and Andorra all have managed to survive as small states longer than some modern countries have existed. They prove that it is not impossible for a small entity to survive.

That is why I like decentralization! With many city states, the competition for business will also be harder, which results in lower taxes as well!
 Unless we're talking socialist city states, or small monarchies. Those are not so fun. =(

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 Well, you MIGHT get a jolly king every so often !  :-)
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 OR dismal politicians and depressing bureaucrats ALL
 of the time ....
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