(urth) Short Sun blog review

[James Wynn]

>> Dan'l-
>> That's a very modernistic/democratic approach ... people in feudal
>> societies don't wonder where their taxes are going, they are grateful
>> they aren't higher.
>
> Anotonio-
> Don't know... taxes used to go to tangible things or waste. The Whorl 
> is not waste but isn't much tangible either. It's clearly something 
> that is visible - like, say, a cathedral - but unlike a cathedral, it 
> doesn't serve its purpose just by being there. 

As far as improving the life of any Urthling or colonist, it was surely 
a tremendous waste. As a monument it was merely tremendous, which is 
what one desires of a monument.

To repeat my analogy, the Pakistani and Iranian nuclear weapons programs 
will not  improve the lives of any average citizen of those nations, nor 
have they so far. That is not why they are popular there (and they are).


u+16b9