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Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:00:19 +0300
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	Content preview:  On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 00:44, Dorin Cheptea
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On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 00:44, Dorin Cheptea <dorin.cheptea@gmail.com>wrote:

> 4) *The country passes through an economic crisis or downturn.* For
> example, it is well-known that the Soviet Union was forced to seek reforms
> mainly because there was no way to any longer spend 20-25% of GDP for
> military industry, plus even that was not enough, as in money equivalent
> that meant the equivalent of 2-3% of the GDP of the USA.


In Civilization, there's the government type of Despotism (and in some
versions, Fundamentalism).  It has considerable penalties on infrastructure
development, on tax revenues and on scientific advancement, but it has one
important advantage: military maintenance will be really cheap.  (And in
case of Fundamentalism, temples and cathedrals will generate revenues
instead of losing money.)

Thus, the appropriate way to exploit such a government type is to either use
it to attack your neighbours, taking away their land and resources so you
can grow bigger than the farther neighbours, or suffer its downsides until
you can afford to discover something better.  Lingering under Despotism for
too long is never useful; it leads to your neighbours' science and economies
outgrow yours, and then you'll be easy to invade because horses are no match
to catapults or cannons.

Soviet Union did exactly that: they set up a totalitarian system and then,
instead of using it for its advantages (mind you, advantages to the ruling
clique rather than its people), let it linger while its science and economy
stagnated.  Eventually, by 1980 the very idea of World Revolution through
Soviet Tanks had become ridiculous.

Which is more, most of this new breed of leaders (Putin, Medvedev, Voronin,
> Chavez, Ahmadinejad, etc) enjoy mockering their political enemies.
>

The court jester's office is an important one, but it's incompatible with
the king's office.

-- 
Andres Soolo

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<div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 00:44, Dorin Cheptea <sp=
an dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:dorin.cheptea@gmail.com">dorin.cheptea=
@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=
=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; p=
adding-left: 1ex;">
4) <b>The country passes through an economic crisis or downturn.</b> For ex=
ample, it is well-known that the Soviet Union was forced to seek reforms ma=
inly because there was no way to any longer spend 20-25% of GDP for militar=
y industry, plus even that was not enough, as in money equivalent that mean=
t the equivalent of 2-3% of the GDP of the USA.</blockquote>
<div><br>In Civilization, there&#39;s the government type of Despotism (and=
 in some versions, Fundamentalism).=C2=A0 It has considerable penalties on =
infrastructure development, on tax revenues and on scientific advancement, =
but it has one important advantage: military maintenance will be really che=
ap.=C2=A0 (And in case of Fundamentalism, temples and cathedrals will gener=
ate revenues instead of losing money.)<br>
<br>Thus, the appropriate way to exploit such a government type is to eithe=
r use it to attack your neighbours, taking away their land and resources so=
 you can grow bigger than the farther neighbours, or suffer its downsides u=
ntil you can afford to discover something better.=C2=A0 Lingering under Des=
potism for too long is never useful; it leads to your neighbours&#39; scien=
ce and economies outgrow yours, and then you&#39;ll be easy to invade becau=
se horses are no match to catapults or cannons.<br>
<br>Soviet Union did exactly that: they set up a totalitarian system and th=
en, instead of using it for its advantages (mind you, advantages to the rul=
ing clique rather than its people), let it linger while its science and eco=
nomy stagnated.=C2=A0 Eventually, by 1980 the very idea of World Revolution=
 through Soviet Tanks had become ridiculous.<br>
<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid=
 rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div>Wh=
ich is more, most of this new breed of leaders (Putin, Medvedev, Voronin, C=
havez, Ahmadinejad, etc) enjoy mockering their political enemies.</div>
</blockquote><div><br>The court jester&#39;s office is an important one, bu=
t it&#39;s incompatible with the king&#39;s office.<br><br></div></div>-- <=
br>Andres Soolo<br>

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