Wednesday, 28 August 2019

ADWD 16: Daenerys 235

Dany still has lots of problems, including generally being blamed for freeing the slaves causing poverty. Xaro is back, and reminding her of all of them. "If all men must grub in the dirt for food, how shall any man lift his eyes to contemplate the stars?", he asks. That definitely needs solving. But he has the cause all wrong. "If each of us must break his back to build a hovel, who shall riase the temples to gorify the gods? For some men to be great, others must be enslaved." Which is typical mercantilisy fixed-quantity-of-wealth thinking. The answer is exactly the sort of productiviy improvements and innovations that come from people having ownership of their enterprises. The answer is division of labour, specialisation and mechanised farming.

Xaro thinks Dany is going to be attacked and wants her to depart for Westeros, so he gives her some ships if she'll promise to leave soon. She smells a rat, and besides doesn't want to abandon her city. This annoys Xaro so he declares war on her. Well escaped, Dany!