The resources it can mobilise is not the same thing, but not unrelated. This is a side argument of a side argument of a side argument, remember. To say that resources available to the state is exactly the same thing as the size of the state is wrong, but to say that they are unrelated is also wrong - someone has to direct those resources (thus requiring extra functionaries), it creates power for the state, gives it wealth which it may use to increase the size of the ruling class, and in various ways is associated with a larger state. Large being (quite deliberately) a vague term, as it may be interpreted as wealthier, more people, more resources, more manhours spent - all of which are related.
>>Neither a large army of paid labourers, OR a large levy, are part of
>>the executive proper,
>
>Which is a change from your previous position
Ah, a veritable army of straw. The state apparatus is not the same as the ruling class, and I have never said otherwise.
>> On the other hand, where they ultimately derive their direction
>>from obviously does have relevence to whether a worker is a part of the
>>state apparatus.
>
>No, it doesn't. Corvee is a form of tax and taxpayers are not part
>of the state apparatus in any meaningful definition of the latter.
Because taxpayers money is used to obtain other resources that are part of the state, frequently employees of the state. Taxpayers buy their way out of supplying labour, among other things. The state needs people who are willing to labour on its projects for a full time period, these people are part of the state apparatus while doing so, there are multiple methods of obtaining this labour.
>> As I said, if you keep saying you going to pay the taxes but not
>>actually doing so, there comes a point at which it is considered
>>non-payment.
>
>But Sha Ming _is_ paying its taxes (late), not saying that it's going
>to pay taxes but never actually doing so (non).
It seems bizarre to me to assume that they might be sacked for late payment AFTER they have paid their taxes, and until they have paid them its a matter of semantics and definitions whether they are late payments or non-payments. Of course, once you have moved the army in you can make them pay (in more ways than one), so probably most attempts at non-payment probably would end up as late payment by some definition anyway.
POIM
>No, it is illegal because of what the PoIM member does. Immanentizing
>one's draconic nature is in the eyes of the rulers (and they are
>probably correct) a serious spiritual error and consequently criminal.
Well, making serious spiritual errors a criminal offense sounds even MORE like thoughtcrime to me. But we seem to be working from slightly different definitions here (I wasn't implying telepathy, only that you seemed to think the Kralori held wrong beliefs punishable even if not actually involving any other criminal act besides those beliefs, while I thought they had a more tolerant system), so there may not be any point in continueing.
Cheers David ------------------------------
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #414
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