Kevin Simler

Mind-blowing: The Inca governed an empire spanning 2500 miles and encompassing 10 million subjects, a feat they managed *without the wheel* and *without a formal writing system*

My initial reaction is that there is likely a significant difference in what they thought of as governing (receiving various forms of tribute) and what we think of governing today (follow our laws + maybe net tribute).

haha yeah lots of differences. i think net tribute is still a requirement today, no? governments still have to make ends meet / extract surplus, or they go the way of the soviet union (i may not be thinking of this in the best way, but that's my current lens)

In the modern world the places that least want to be controlled by the central powers are almost always cost centers, not revenue generators as they were likely to be in the past.

this sounds really interesting, but i need examples!

The Roman Empire's expansion helped fund the core. Over a millennia later, the extraction of wealth from Asia/New World by the colonizing European powers... Today - name a profitable occupation. Middle East? Crimea? And most rural areas are net receivers of payments.

My above model doesn’t seem to apply well to modern day Europe. Catalonia is a captive autonomous zone that is a net tax payer to Spain. UK seems to be a net payer to the EU.