Author
|
Topic: does size matter? (Read 1091 times) |
|
Mermaid
Archon
Posts: 770
Reputation: 8.33
Rate Mermaid
Bite me!
|
 |
does size matter?
« on: 2004-10-17 18:37:37 » |
 |
does the physical size and a large population assure a thriving economy for a nation? strength lies in numbers? discuss.
|
|
|
|
|
DrSebby
Archon
Gender: 
Posts: 456
Reputation: 8.07
Rate DrSebby
...Oh, you smell of lambs!
     
 
|
|
RE: virus: does size matter?
« Reply #1 on: 2004-10-17 23:27:03 » |
|
....here goes my theory: take large scale wars and the like as an
example...it is widely known that a side effect of the agony and pain of war
is massively boosted technological advancement rate - thus making life
better...not worth it for the of the people that go through the war, but
very nice indeed for those that come to follow - reaping the benefits
without paying the price. a similar thing can be seen with population
excesses - production through desperation and sheer work hours performed.
with your competition constantly breathing down your neck, there is less
time for "wasteful" recreation and more emphasis on intesified production
lest you fall to the wayside from where there is seldom an easy escape. so
production may go up...but that's only fun for the people at the top of the
pyramid.
...last point...a large territory is a requisite for massive
production/prosperity, as it provides massive resources for the population
which makes shit cheaper to aquire for industry and consumption. e.g...we
dont really NEED to import anything, even with our enormous
population...whereas japan absolutely MUST if they want to survive with
their population.
thanks for your time and reading of my silly little view.
drsebby.
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Mermaid" <hidden@lucifer.com>
Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
To: virus@lucifer.com
Subject: virus: does size matter?
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 16:37:38 -0600
does the physical size and a large population assure a thriving economy for
a nation? strength lies in numbers? discuss.
----
This message was posted by Mermaid to the Virus 2004 board on Church of
Virus BBS.
<http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=61;action=display;threadid=30940>
---
To unsubscribe from the Virus list go to
<http://www.lucifer.com/cgi-bin/virus-l>
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.com/
---
To unsubscribe from the Virus list go to <http://www.lucifer.com/cgi-bin/virus-l>
|
"courage and shuffle the cards..."
|
|
|
simul
Adept
Gender:
Posts: 614
Reputation: 7.53
Rate simul
I am a lama.
|
|
Re: virus: does size matter?
« Reply #2 on: 2004-10-18 08:47:00 » |
|
Do nations with smaller populations tend to die out more rapidly than those with larger populations?
Seems like something that is possible to empirically research merely by listing all of the nations that “died” (were conquered, collapsed, etc), and then comparing their peak sizes (perhaps relative to the global population).
-----Original Message-----
From: athe nonrex <athenonrex@godisdead.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:00:40
To:virus@lucifer.com
Subject: Re: virus: does size matter?
does the physical size and a large population assure a thriving economy
for a nation? strength lies in numbers? discuss.
[athenonrex]
does size matter? no. i've always said, "it's not the size, it's how you use it..."
sexual inuendo aside, it still applies. nothing actually assures a thriving economy.
many things aide the development of an economy, many things hurt the development of an
economy. and in all honesty, i think that the bigger a population, the worse off the
economy is going to be.
let me attepmpt to defend my blatent opinions. the larger a population is, the more it requires
as far as resources go, right? more people means you need more foor and water, and a place for
everyone to crash (shelter). two of the four fundamentals; the fact that there are people takes care
of the other two fundamentals (as a refresher, i'm reffering to the "four F's": food, fornication,
fortitude and feelings....)
let me try and use a house party as an example. you have a house party out in the deep country
area somewhere. you know, the kind of house that the nearest nieghbor is about two miles
away (if you get any noise complaints out there, i think you deserve them..) now, let's say you invite
about 5 friends, plus yourself and your spouse. the party is expected to cater for 7 people now.
however, 2 of your friends bring a mutual friend of theirs and that friend's brother. there're 9 people
now. the catering can preobably still hold, but it'll be stretched a bit thin.
then 2 more friend's show up. they bring some stuff of their own, which only counts as part of
the original catering expectations, because they told you they were bringing a dish or two.
nothing changes when they arrive, it's still catering for 7 applied to 9 people.
a few minutes later, the last friend shows up, with his other group of friends...4 of them...making
five people that just showed up. it's now 14 people on the catering resources of 7.
okay, i guess we should make a beer run, right? pick up some potato(e) chips while you're out, too.
maybe some hamberger and sodas, just in case...(the 'e' is just in case some of your friend's friends
are illiterate.)
okay...we're almost in full swing now. the party is bumping and resources aren't so stretched
after an arduous trip to the grocery store. but wait...four of your friends' from back in the day
called...wanna come over. haven't seen you in days! (lingo speak) they being friends you go
'way back' with, you find it hard to explain the resources predicament. what the hell, come on
over.
the party is jumped up to 19 people. resources were initially for 7. they were readjusted and
bolstered to accomodate 14 people. they have to be readjusted again, but this time no one
wants to make a beer run, and your friends are already on their way. what do you do now?
this scenario has a bit og hyperbole, yes. but let me use this as an allegory. the house party is
our economy in action. how much food there is. how many 'other' resources are required to
generate the economy (let's call it "beer" in this allegory). followed by population...erm, house
guests. now, for a realistic interpretation, not all of the people at the house party, particularly
unexpected guests, are contributing parties. they provide no resources, no food, no shelter,
nothing. they are the pure consumers. the people living in the house, they are producers. they
set up the party, invited people, make arrangements to accomodate friends. in the end, i think
i feel safe in refering to these people as the "core working class".
next, we have the compromise of the two types: people who came to enjoy the party, but also
brought food and drink, and were willing to make a store run when supplies ran out. these are what
i call "good, decent people". extremely rare, to be precise. they work as needed, and they
aren't afraid to. something needs to be done, just do it and be done with it. this is their mentality,
for the most part. if the core of economic participants were of this nature, then i'm sure more people
wouldn't be a problem. but as the population rises, it's tends towards more and more people
that don't produce/contribute at all. they may do something, but it isn't all that necessary. let's
say they play guitar for everyone, or they tell a few jokes. it entertains the party goers, but it doesn't
put food in the party goers' bellies, or anything else. it doesn't serve a function. (not that i'm
against aestheticism, quite the contrary...but this is economics.)
as economies expand, more and more markets open, more services are available, more this, more
that...bells and whistles on every street corner, and all at a discounted price. but less and less
food stands line those streets inbetween each corner.
hopefully we'll all starve to death because of this, and the evolutionary process can pump out
something a little more deserving of opposable thumbs and higher brain function.
--->Get your free email @godisdead.com
Made possible by Fade to Black Comedy Magazine
---
To unsubscribe from the Virus list go to <http://www.lucifer.com/cgi-bin/virus-l>
|
First, read Bruce Sterling's "Distraction", and then read http://electionmethods.org.
|
|
|
|
Logged
