It has nothing to do with science, the world goes round because of money. Economics really is the behind the scenes force driving in each and every new revolution that happens to come along. You can get anything done with enough money. You can create an army to destroy your opponents with enough money. The gathering of money from the masses causes general unrest. As well as the lack of money makes people do things they would never do otherwise. Economics are the most influential thing in the world, and the Medici knew it.
"Democracy depends on consensus, consensus on persuasion. And what is more persuasive than money?" Medici Money Page 88. That statement is entirely amazingly true. With enough money you can get just about anything you want done. This is because people are willing to take any risk for cold hard currency. Cosimo fully realized this and utilized it often, along with his other favorite tactics which is taking advantage of the fact that if you are funding someones endeavors (or their livelihood in general) are very hesitant to the point of outright against speaking against you, and your own endeavors. It is relatively simple to see how this can be used in correlation with spurring on a revolution. One simply has to place a few coins in the pockets of those opposed to this new radical change, and on the hugely strange chance that that is not enough to persuade the individual or organization to stop hindering your efforts, just hire someone to help you discreetly. With enough money your revolution will come about.
"Even when it most resembles a sport, even when it is most futile, war is always cruelly expensive. And where war is never conclusive, a constant supply of money becomes absolutely essential." Medici Money page 72. For the Revolution of Humanism would not have spread so easily and far, had Italy not been in a constant state of war within itself. The fact that this dissension among the various city states existed, meant that the Church did not have full control over everything, and with that came a chance for the ideals of Humanism, which seemingly challenged the traditional thinking of the Church to spread and flourish without being widely recognized until it was to large to stop. This level of chaos does not come cheaply, and requires a very healthy economy before the start, if it is to sustain for long enough for a true revolution to take place. Also in other Revolutions which developed in the form of wars, namely the French Revolution, and the American Revolutionary war, vast armies fought, and without proper food, equipment both of which do not come cheap. Without enough money, your revolution will fall apart.
"As an order, they were virtually exempt from paying taxes of any kind. They collected rent from the peasant population who lived on their lands. They also collected an extraordinary amount of customary dues from the peasantry." http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html. That is speaking of course of the nobles before the French Revolution. For some reason there seems to be a pattern throughout history that those with money seem to be corrupted by it, and develop a need to gain more in whatever way possible, ethical or not. That was the case for the nobles of France in the late eighteen hundreds, and the British midway through that same century. In both cases the upper class became obsessed with an idea that they were entitled to the wealth of all those below them, and thus they taxed them cruelly, to the point where the ones being oppressed financially finally couldn't take anymore and decided drastic changes had to take place. Those drastic changes ended up being revolutions. Hording all the money you can, causes a revolution from those you have horded this money away from.
"There [China] it produces the very same product in the very same way, only with cheaper labor, lower taxes, subsidized energy, and lower health-care costs." The World Is Flat page 137. The impoverished do things no one in a decent financial situation would ever consider. It's called acts of desperation, and it is a road towards revolution. As the malnourished french peasants rose up and fought for equality a few hundred years ago. the Chinese, and Indian citizens today are doing the same thing much more quietly, with less literal bloodshed. The horrible economic state of China and India is allowing their highly skilled workforce to do the same work at a fraction of the cost that an American worker is forced to do it for, based on cost of living.Those without enough money to survive will inevitably attempt to start a revolution.
Every major change in history has been caused in a large part by economics. Every change in history rather. No matter how many ideals people try to throw in front of their causes, to make them seem just, every single one of them comes down to one thing in the end. Money. It is one of the most sickening realizations I have ever made, yet there is no denying it. I wish we lived in a world where money wasn't on the mind at all times of those that gain power, but that's just it, the people who want money, gain power as a result of gaining the money they seek. It's a vicious circle of horrible, greedy people telling us what to do, and I see know way to put an end to it. There will always be those people, like the Medici who are willing to destroy any pretense of morality to gain meaningless wealth; and these will always be the people that have the means to start a revolution. Money causes every shift in history, it really is what makes the world go round, however sickening that is.
"Democracy depends on consensus, consensus on persuasion. And what is more persuasive than money?" Medici Money Page 88. That statement is entirely amazingly true. With enough money you can get just about anything you want done. This is because people are willing to take any risk for cold hard currency. Cosimo fully realized this and utilized it often, along with his other favorite tactics which is taking advantage of the fact that if you are funding someones endeavors (or their livelihood in general) are very hesitant to the point of outright against speaking against you, and your own endeavors. It is relatively simple to see how this can be used in correlation with spurring on a revolution. One simply has to place a few coins in the pockets of those opposed to this new radical change, and on the hugely strange chance that that is not enough to persuade the individual or organization to stop hindering your efforts, just hire someone to help you discreetly. With enough money your revolution will come about.
"Even when it most resembles a sport, even when it is most futile, war is always cruelly expensive. And where war is never conclusive, a constant supply of money becomes absolutely essential." Medici Money page 72. For the Revolution of Humanism would not have spread so easily and far, had Italy not been in a constant state of war within itself. The fact that this dissension among the various city states existed, meant that the Church did not have full control over everything, and with that came a chance for the ideals of Humanism, which seemingly challenged the traditional thinking of the Church to spread and flourish without being widely recognized until it was to large to stop. This level of chaos does not come cheaply, and requires a very healthy economy before the start, if it is to sustain for long enough for a true revolution to take place. Also in other Revolutions which developed in the form of wars, namely the French Revolution, and the American Revolutionary war, vast armies fought, and without proper food, equipment both of which do not come cheap. Without enough money, your revolution will fall apart.
"As an order, they were virtually exempt from paying taxes of any kind. They collected rent from the peasant population who lived on their lands. They also collected an extraordinary amount of customary dues from the peasantry." http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html. That is speaking of course of the nobles before the French Revolution. For some reason there seems to be a pattern throughout history that those with money seem to be corrupted by it, and develop a need to gain more in whatever way possible, ethical or not. That was the case for the nobles of France in the late eighteen hundreds, and the British midway through that same century. In both cases the upper class became obsessed with an idea that they were entitled to the wealth of all those below them, and thus they taxed them cruelly, to the point where the ones being oppressed financially finally couldn't take anymore and decided drastic changes had to take place. Those drastic changes ended up being revolutions. Hording all the money you can, causes a revolution from those you have horded this money away from.
"There [China] it produces the very same product in the very same way, only with cheaper labor, lower taxes, subsidized energy, and lower health-care costs." The World Is Flat page 137. The impoverished do things no one in a decent financial situation would ever consider. It's called acts of desperation, and it is a road towards revolution. As the malnourished french peasants rose up and fought for equality a few hundred years ago. the Chinese, and Indian citizens today are doing the same thing much more quietly, with less literal bloodshed. The horrible economic state of China and India is allowing their highly skilled workforce to do the same work at a fraction of the cost that an American worker is forced to do it for, based on cost of living.Those without enough money to survive will inevitably attempt to start a revolution.
Every major change in history has been caused in a large part by economics. Every change in history rather. No matter how many ideals people try to throw in front of their causes, to make them seem just, every single one of them comes down to one thing in the end. Money. It is one of the most sickening realizations I have ever made, yet there is no denying it. I wish we lived in a world where money wasn't on the mind at all times of those that gain power, but that's just it, the people who want money, gain power as a result of gaining the money they seek. It's a vicious circle of horrible, greedy people telling us what to do, and I see know way to put an end to it. There will always be those people, like the Medici who are willing to destroy any pretense of morality to gain meaningless wealth; and these will always be the people that have the means to start a revolution. Money causes every shift in history, it really is what makes the world go round, however sickening that is.
(All information pertaining to the French Revolution courtesy of http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html
All information pertaining to the American Revolutionary war courtesy of http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/causes.html)
All information pertaining to the American Revolutionary war courtesy of http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/causes.html)
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