The military was
trained, disciplined and held a monopoly of weapons.
Civilizations frequently begin as commonwealths or federations forged in
the course of survival struggle. In any such struggle the military will
of necessity play a major role. As the competitive survival struggle
develops, one of the contending parties establishes its superiority by
winning military victory. In the course of this struggle the
commonwealth, a cluster of equals, yields place to the pattern of
empire--a center of wealth and authority with its associates,
subordinates and dependencies.
The strong right arm of politics includes man-power, money and weapons.
The politics of civilization faces a simple mandate: establish,
stabilize and perpetuate a nucleus of wealth and authority; build around
the nucleus a periphery of associates and dependencies.
Historically, the process was a long one extending through generations
and probably centuries. Throughout the struggle individuals must have
the necessities of daily life. Community activities must be housed,
equipped, staffed, supported.
Pastoral and village life were based on a use economy. People produced
what they needed and consumed their own products. Each tribe, family,
village was a more or less self-sufficient unit. When they were
threatened or invaded people defended themselves as best they could. At
worst they abandoned their homes to the invaders and fled into the
forests, mountains or deserts.
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