e center. It also involved
the establishment of a political apparatus strong enough to perpetuate
the relationship by collecting tribute and taxes from the weak and
depositing them in the treasure chests of the strong. The outcome was a
civil bureaucracy backed by a military or police strong enough to defend
and perpetuate an unpalatable superior-inferior position.

Once established, both the civilian bureaucracy and the military
apparatus tended to maintain themselves, to extend their privileges and
strengthen their positions. Since controversial issues, domestic and
foreign, are generally decided by force or the threat of force, the
military became the strong right arm of authority.

These confrontations and contradictions created three sets of political
problems: centralism versus localism; established central authority
versus provincial rights and self-determination; the concentration or
centralization of authority in the hands of a select few civilian and/or
military leaders, responsible to the central authority, who made on the
spot decisions and took action.

Under the institutions and practices of civilized society, the select
few were in a position to call in the military which was organized for
emergency action and was constantly standing-by. 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 consume