I don’t know about that. I think nations allowing aristocracy to parasitically divert resources and set policy priorities go back to the beginning of history, as soon as we could start organizing labor and creating surpluses. Wasn’t Marx a historian?
That is a very narrow view of history. Not incorrect, necessarily, but also not the full picture. This is only correct if you're looking at history from that very western-centric lens that starts with Egypt (for some reason), then goes into Greece, Rome, and then 1-2-skip a few, and a neat little line into the Renaissance and then the "age of exploration". But that wasn't most of the world, that was pretty much just Europe.
Thing is: it would be cost effective. Just not for the people making the decisions.
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