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Adressing policing
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lidar
lidar
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This is feudalism. (Kinda, pop culture version)

If a town stops paying taxes the king doesn't send in the army. They go to the mayors of the 4 surrounding cities and ask them to send the hooligans on their respective payroll over to smash some stuff until taxes flow again.

And the mayors do that because a) it is socially a bit awkward and dishonerable to be a traitor and b) if they don't the king goes to the 8 surrounding towns and promises them half the taxes for themselves. Personal connections, personal profit and a general aversion to risk and danger are what holds this together.

The army is there as a loyal core the monarch can always rely on. They have to face the risk of a small revolt turning into a wildfire much less often if they can nip small stuff by themselves without calling in others. But it is also something a shortsighted miser would be perfectly fine cutting short.

PS: And regarding police since I also saw that brought up: With those numbers you do not do rule of law. If you get a cow stolen you don't go to the police, you take some mates and discuss the matter with whoever seems to have a lot of them. You are doing rule of whatever is socially acceptable enough to not get more people than you can take on to go after you.

This is feudalism. (Kinda, pop culture version)

If a town stops paying taxes the king doesn't send in the army. They go to the mayors of the 4 surrounding cities and ask them to send the hooligans on their respective payroll over to smash some stuff until taxes flow again.

And the mayors do that because a) it is socially a bit awkward and dishonerable to be a traitor and b) if they don't the king goes to the 8 surrounding towns and promises them half the taxes for themselves. Personal connections, personal profit and a general aversion to risk and danger are what holds this together.

The army is there as a loyal core the monarch can always rely on. They have to face the risk of a small revolt turning into a wildfire much less often if they can nip small stuff by themselves without calling in others. But it is also something a shortsighted miser would be perfectly fine cutting short.

This is feudalism. (Kinda, pop culture version)

If a town stops paying taxes the king doesn't send in the army. They go to the mayors of the 4 surrounding cities and ask them to send the hooligans on their respective payroll over to smash some stuff until taxes flow again.

And the mayors do that because a) it is socially a bit awkward and dishonerable to be a traitor and b) if they don't the king goes to the 8 surrounding towns and promises them half the taxes for themselves. Personal connections, personal profit and a general aversion to risk and danger are what holds this together.

The army is there as a loyal core the monarch can always rely on. They have to face the risk of a small revolt turning into a wildfire much less often if they can nip small stuff by themselves without calling in others. But it is also something a shortsighted miser would be perfectly fine cutting short.

PS: And regarding police since I also saw that brought up: With those numbers you do not do rule of law. If you get a cow stolen you don't go to the police, you take some mates and discuss the matter with whoever seems to have a lot of them. You are doing rule of whatever is socially acceptable enough to not get more people than you can take on to go after you.

Source Link
lidar
lidar
  • 1.5k
  • 7
  • 11

This is feudalism. (Kinda, pop culture version)

If a town stops paying taxes the king doesn't send in the army. They go to the mayors of the 4 surrounding cities and ask them to send the hooligans on their respective payroll over to smash some stuff until taxes flow again.

And the mayors do that because a) it is socially a bit awkward and dishonerable to be a traitor and b) if they don't the king goes to the 8 surrounding towns and promises them half the taxes for themselves. Personal connections, personal profit and a general aversion to risk and danger are what holds this together.

The army is there as a loyal core the monarch can always rely on. They have to face the risk of a small revolt turning into a wildfire much less often if they can nip small stuff by themselves without calling in others. But it is also something a shortsighted miser would be perfectly fine cutting short.