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to understand gold one must first understand that nation states subsist on taxes & that taxes can only be extracted if individuals choose (or are forced) to call a specific geolocation "Home"

nation state enforce "boundaries" (quite literally) these boundaries serve the same purpose as the fences that make good neighbors and the boundaries that help smooth over and build personal relationships these boundaries are always enforced via threat of violence

this violence is produced by patriotic individuals who call a place home. either b/c the borderlands are violent and depraved or b/c of strong preference for the values of the home culture it is *very* difficult to someone who doesn't think this way to point a gun at anyone

the opposite of a soldier thus is not a hippie (who is defined in terms of the soldier as an anti-soldier) but the businessman. one who actively goes to the "enemy" because value is seen in building the relationship vs destroying it

every soldier thus is a mercenary but they vary in accepted payment. some can be paid purely in status, some are purely mercenary and can only be paid in hard money. most are a mix of both meaning that almost everyone can be bought for the right price

the reason a gold rich kingdom can easily defeat a poor kingdom is that all the soldiers and guards can be bribed with gold gold, rather than the local "fake" currency is necessary for the bribery b/c the gold has GLOBAL value