4 ms·

No, they work just as well as they always do. It's just easier to run in to a bigger, badder imperium.

• JumpCrisscross 6y ago
  > they work just as well as they always do Objectively, no. They don't. You can't capture the intangible capital of a country through invasion. The greater the ratio of intangible capital (skills, trust, institutions, et cetera) to tangible capital, the less effective classical empires become. Resource-rich countries, on the other hand, are still subject to imperial dynamics.
  • vinceguidry 6y ago
    It happened last century, when the Communists kicked the Nationalists out of mainland China.
    • JumpCrisscross 6y ago
      > when the Communists kicked the Nationalists out of mainland China That's revolution, not imperialism.
      • vinceguidry 6y ago
        What's the difference? They invaded, took over, and kicked out the old leaders. It was a war. With territory and everything.