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[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Tiny Human Ferret wrote: > > > > R. Steve Walz wrote: > > > > > > Look, I loved Latin and studied it for 5 years, but Rome was the > > > ultimate feudalism, with as many as 2/3rds slaves as its residents. > > > Steve > > > > The origins of Feudalism as we had it in the Dark Ages was when the > > Romans -- mostly in the Empire in the East, originally -- declared that > > even free citizens must enter the trades and occupations of their > > fathers, couldn't travel farther from their tax-collector than a certain > > distance, etc. In effect, the free citizens became slaves in all but > > name. At the height of the Republic slavery was comparatively rare, and > > as the form of government was exchanged to that of a monarchy and the > > empire expanded, so did slavery, after all one of the main economic > > factors in the Empire was the constant stream of slaves returned to the > > capital from the newly conquered provinces. > > > > The argument is easily made that one of the reasons that there was so > > little advance in development of mechanism was that it was far cheaper > > to expend slaves than to develop machines. Once the empire was in its > > final collapse and the plagues swept through, there weren't even enough > > people to keep any of the survivors in bondage, and with such > > desperation for manpower combining with such a superfluity of metals > > just lying about, development of mechanism wasn't just economically > > viable, but essential to make up for the lack of labor. And with so many > > minds free to think towards solving their own problems, rather than > > being crushed under some assigned drudgery, of course the Renaissance > > followed.. > > Recognize that you are talking *White_People* here. A few thouzand > milez to the South, no effortz whatzoever were made to advance > what pazzed for civilization among the DAFNbongo SpearChuckerz... > to the ------------------ You're an idiot. You don't even know the technology of Egypt or central African empires. But also, they didn't need it as much, in a warmer climate. Steve
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