That's deep Up to this point, I've gotten like flying pig questions and flying car questions. I think I'd start by making everything as local as possible because that way people's needs can be met better. It's way harder to meet people's needs if your a giant entity with millions of people to focus on.
that sounds like a good strategy
But smaller entities with a few hundred or thousand of constituents can way more easily meet their needs.
I often feel that the larger government gets, the more the one-size-fits-all solution fails to fit, well, anybody.
I totally agree.
My theory is that's why small countries like Luxembourg are so pleasant to visit. Less bureaucratic overhead. :)
Isn't there some rule of society that says that 300 is about the optimal size of group for association within the group ? I remember that from Human Geography I think
I haven't heard that, but I believe it. Also - and this is scary - the average life of a country is only about 200 years.
Really? I'm not surprised but I hadn't heard that.
Yup. It's kind of a hidden statistic because countries tend to keep the same name even though the government has fallen apart and then been overhauled.
I guess around the 200 year mark is when the country starts trying to fix more problems than it can.
But on average, countries don't remain politically stable for all that long. The oldest country in the world is... dang it - I forgot exactly how old it is. Hang on, googling.
And ends up giving itself a huge bureaucracy like you said. In a lot of cases at least
Ok yeah - according to the all-knowing internet, the country with the oldest Constitution in the world is the Republic of San Marino. Their constitution was written in 1600, so it's just a little over 400 years old.
Hm, interesting. I guess it's possible that a country has too weak a government like the articles of confederation and breaks apart. But That's a lot more rare since its rare for people to be wary of their own power.
Yeah, bureaucratic overload is my theory, too: The longer a country is around, the more people make laws. We're really good at making laws.
More often those in power seek to expand their influence, whether that's benevolently motivated or not
But usually no one cares enough to go back and clean them up once they become obsolete or obstructive.
Yeah, it's a shame that it's so easy to turn to legislation. Because it's so easy to mistake laws for the rules that determine how a society functions. When in reality society already has it's own, prefabricated rules that exist on their own. And laws are just there to provide a little structure for those natural laws
There's a plus side to the whole government thing, though. The one-size-fits-all strategy usually doesn't maximize happiness/success/what-have-you...
Yeah?
...but it IS effective at minimizing one group taking advantage of another.
That is true. And I think that's the primary goal of government at all really
So we minimize sorrow at the cost of not being able to maximize happiness.
It's the social contract principle.
yup
That's a very good way to put it.
So have you lived in any countries besides the USA?
Not for extended periods of time. Not yet at least
Where would you travel if you had the choice?
I might soon. For a mission.
Oh cool! I hope you go, it's a great thing to do.
I don't know. I've always thought Italy sounds cool Yeah me too. I just finished the medical paperwork I enjoy like the Italy food courts int New York and stuff.
I've never been to Italy. But France and Germany are beautiful.
Obviously that's super touristy but still Oh yeah? I bet.
Naw - in my opinion, food is one of THE main reasons for visiting a country.
Have you seen them a lot? Haha, can't argue with that
I lived in Germany for ten years.
Oh wow, that's cool!
France, I've only visited once or twice. But people are not kidding when they gush about how awesome the French food is.
Yeah? I know a few people who have been to France. One of them swears by Carbonated Water now I'm not a huge fan
Haha. It took me almost six months to adapt to carbonated water. The first time I drank it, I almost spat it back out.
Yeah
I can drink it now, but I still prefer still water.
I've got family members who like it. I just don't get it. I mean, I like soda ok It's not great but it's not horrible. Just really sweet Which gives me headaches. But carbonated water is just kind of salty. And weird. Just different I guess. I hear most people outside the U.S. think Root Beer tastes like shampoo
Might be a pure matter of taste buds. I mean, some people have taste receptors that other people lack,. So differences in taste are sometimes, well... LITERALLY differences in taste. Yup. Germans don't get root beer at all.
That's a good point.
And in Australia 'root' is a crude word, so that gets awkward real fast...
Root beer is the one soda I particularly like though.
Yeah, I like root beer too.
haha really? That's unfortunate
Hey, I have to go, but thanks for chatting. This was a lot of fun!