Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: Are we in the opening scen...

Last post by grumbler - Today at 09:40:18 PM

Nobody in China thought they could profit by sailing to Europe and seeing what they had for sale? 

In Confucianist thought, merchants were the lowest rung of society, because Confucius claimed that they produced nothing and just exploited the labor of others.  So merchants had to be careful not to attract the attention of the tax farmers by appearing too wealthy. Most of China's trade was with southeast Asia, where, in fact, many Chinese expatriate communities sprung up to avoid Chinese government oppression.

In China itself there was little in the way of entrepreneurial spirit. Classical Chinese culture was very much (officially) opposed to desiring too much in the way of material goods.

#2

Off the Record / Re: Vote in the New York City ...

Last post by grumbler - Today at 09:31:28 PM

I mean some antiquated distinction from the 18th century they take such odd pride in today? You don't find that weird and adorable? But again YMMV. If doing some tradition of paying 9$ for a mayoral filing fee is weird than surely this would qualify.

I live in Virginia and am unaware of any general "odd pride" in "some antiquated distinction."  It's just a name.  I think that you have been sold a bill of goods.

#3

Gaming HQ / Re: What are you playing? (Red...

Last post by mongers - Today at 08:11:53 PM

Still FO4

 

Good to see you about, B4V.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Vote in the New York City ...

Last post by garbon - Today at 07:17:15 PM

It's only proper that Virginia distinguishes itself because it's the best state in the nation.
The other "commonwealths" are just trying to copy our glory.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Are we in the opening scen...

Last post by HVC - Today at 07:16:21 PM

There is something obviously unbalanced here.  If these people were the economic powerhouses of their day, why weren't they sailing to Europe for trade rather than the other way around?

They didn't need anything Europe have to offer, which is why when trade occurred, China mostly took in silver by default. Europe definitely "felt" that as the chronic specie drain fueled the regular rounds of currency devaluations that plagued early modern Europe as well as encouraging the American colonial ventures. The dynamic continued well into the 19th century, being a key motivator underlying the Opium Wars.

Nobody in China thought they could profit by sailing to Europe and seeing what they had for sale? 

Why? They had a stable trade network that obvioulsy made them money, what incentive would they have to invest in a fleet and set sail?

#6

Off the Record / Re: Vote in the New York City ...

Last post by HisMajestyBOB - Today at 07:02:29 PM

It's only proper that Virginia distinguishes itself because it's the best state in the nation.
The other "commonwealths" are just trying to copy our glory.

#7

Off the Record / Re: Are we in the opening scen...

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 06:55:51 PM

There is something obviously unbalanced here.  If these people were the economic powerhouses of their day, why weren't they sailing to Europe for trade rather than the other way around?

They didn't need anything Europe have to offer, which is why when trade occurred, China mostly took in silver by default. Europe definitely "felt" that as the chronic specie drain fueled the regular rounds of currency devaluations that plagued early modern Europe as well as encouraging the American colonial ventures. The dynamic continued well into the 19th century, being a key motivator underlying the Opium Wars.

Nobody in China thought they could profit by sailing to Europe and seeing what they had for sale?  

#8

Off the Record / Re: Are we in the opening scen...

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 06:50:34 PM

I get the feeling that a great deal of production in east and south asia is a function of large populations.  They had a very productive food system that led to a larger population, the larger population produced more of an item because it was simply larger, but also consumed the items.

They had a very productive food system because they had what was for the time world class infrastructure and relatively stable social and political systems. 

They have a very productive food system because of climate and crops.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Are we in the opening scen...

Last post by Valmy - Today at 06:36:29 PM

Too bad we can't ignore the US impact on climate change.

I saw an article the that claimed that more than 90% of the US' new energy capacity in 2025 was renewable, in spite of Trump's efforts.

To be able to understand whether that statistic is meaningful, I would need to know how much new energy was generated in proportion to the existing energy.

The vast adoption of wind and solar and batteries is very real. Building those things just has a much lower entry cost than building a giant thermal plant.

The problem is that the current energy needs of the grid is exploding with all of these data centers. So despite this very impressive adoption the greenhouse gas emissions are probably not going to decrease much, in fact they will increase.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Vote in the New York City ...

Last post by Valmy - Today at 06:32:42 PM

Don't you guys also have tons of weird antiquated traditions? Yes, the older the state the more weird things like this they will have. Like Virginia's weird and adorable insistance it is not a state. It's a commonwealth. This is a very important distinction.

The "weird and adorable insistance[sic]" that a Commonwealth is a commonwealth derives from the original governments of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to distinguish themselves from the crown colonies like Georgia.  All retain the term today. Kentucky also uses the term because it was once part of Virginia.

I don't see what is "weird and adorable" about it, but YMMV.

I mean some antiquated distinction from the 18th century they take such odd pride in today? You don't find that weird and adorable? But again YMMV. If doing some tradition of paying 9$ for a mayoral filing fee is weird than surely this would qualify.