On 3/30/2016 9:10 AM, Michael McKinney wrote:
> Feudalism died because of Republics and the burgeoning wealth of the Merchant
>  class. Traveller's current world model reflects the bitter transition from
> the Medieval Era to the Renaissance.
>
> You shouldn't see viable large trade Imperiums because Feudal powers would
> try to snuff out their power and influence before they could ascent to
> 'large'. Notes how the Princes of Europe buried the Hansa, Venetians, and
> Genoese. Republics don't last long when the powers that be still exercise a
> belief that conquerring planets is more economically viable than just trading
> with those planets.
>
> I think espoused popular values in TU are naturally in conflict with how
> power is distributed in the TU. It mirrors the conflicts based around peasant
> revolts that flooded the 15-19th century. Though about mid-17th, those
> revolts go from disorganized, isolated mobs to organized militias. So
> whichever model fits more with how planets and individuals rally such revolts
> against feudal states in space, would be also good to know if revolts are
> even a common thing in Traveller.
>
	In Canon? They are in the disorganized mob stage, modulo the application of
advanced technology. Striker and CT Book 4: Mercenary make it pretty explicit
that having a trained mercenary company for hire is commonly accepted and
institutionalized practice.

	If everything is going well in the MyMines Agrarian Kibbutz there should be no
reason to hire Mercenaries. But clearly there is enough call for it that banks
feel they can make money by offering escrow accounts for payments to these same
companies.

	The large problem is the distribution of wealth and population in the TU is/was
done randomly to simulate the effects of centuries of historic economic changes.
The problem is without the historical record to fall back on to explain the
current situation it becomes very difficult to explain either the current state
or how things will change.

--
         Thomas Jones-Low
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