(urth) Short Sun blog review

[António Pedro Marques]

James Wynn wrote (22-09-2010 18:16):
>
>>> 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.

But a monument serves its purpose by being there. The Whorl wasn't meant to 
stay there.

> 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).

And what popularity would they enjoy if they were sent to somewhere out of 
reach?