>>> No, a levy is enforced much the same as taxes (in fact, often
>>>became interchangeable with taxes).
Me>>And are taxpayers part of the state apparatus? No.
>For the time in which they are working on state projects, yes.
Your definition is a complete solecism in that there is no difference between a small state apparatus and large one as every taxpayer is part of the state apparatus.
> The 'size' of the state is partly measured in terms of how much
>manpower it can mobilise.
One would have thought that was a measure of the _effectiveness_ of the state apparatus rather than its size.
>Obviously, the Kralori state can mobilise a fair
>bit. Whether this is a part time levy, or a smaller number of full time
>workers, isn't necessarily relevent.
But it is relevant. I said the state was small because it met its construction demands through the use of the corvee rather than the large army of professional labourers that you suggested. You then started suggesting that corveed workers were part of the state apparatus which, according to successive definitions of your own devising, implied that an anarchist commune was a state and that every taxpayer was part of the state apparatus!
>>You had stated that "But [the Kralori] do, for example, sack
>>cities for not paying their taxes on time." as an example of the
>>Kralori do not rule by Goodwill. I have demonstrated amply that
>>Sha Ming was sacked in the last two occasions for rebelling and
>>not because it wasn't paying its taxes on time.
>But being sacked for rebelling isn't ruling by Goodwill either.
::So? I said "Its rulers prefer to govern through goodwill...".
GD V7 #380
And rebellion is a more heinous crime in anybody's books than the mere late payment of taxes.
> I think it was probably sacked on occasions other than when
>occupied by Sheng, anyway, 'several' being more than 'two'.
::Whereas a revolt or two during the reigns of Mikaday, Vayobi, ::Vashanti and Yanoor, would account for the remainder of the ::several times that it has been sacked. GD V7 #387
>Frankly, I think if your interpretation was intended, the
>description would say 'Sha Ming has rebelled in the past and the emperors
>armies have sacked the city twice', rebelling not being quite the same as
>non-payment of taxes and several being more than twice.
As the above quote shows, I have never suggested that Sha Ming was sacked _only_ twice. And you still can't grasp the essential difference between the late payment of taxes (which happens all the time in Sha Ming) and the non-payment of such.
>>>[Immanent Mastery] is a crime because...?
>>Premature manifestation of draconic attributes is a strong sign
>>that you are abusing your cosmic powers for material gain.
> So, the Kralori see the POIM as only a path to material gain, and
>do not accept that the average member sees it as a religious path? Even
>mistakenly? Curious.
No. The rulers (the people who determine what is criminal and what is not) in their wisdom see the PoIM as a material path. I can only refer you to Gods of Glorantha: What the Dragon Lord Whispers for more details.
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