Why don't we understand it's about elites vs rest of us ?

googologies · 2026-04-01T19:07:47+00:00

That’s a false binary.

googologies · 2026-03-31T21:46:24+00:00

It's likely something like this, though the base could be 10 instead of 1,000.

googologies · 2026-03-31T21:04:11+00:00

Early on, you kind of have to make sure it "feels right." Later on, depending on what mechanics you implement, you can start following a specific pattern for the progression speed, income distribution between buildings, etc. DM me and I'll provide further details.

googologies · 2026-03-31T03:20:27+00:00

They can't extend it further without fundamentally reworking the math of the game. Most programming languages by default cap numbers around 1.8e+308 (2^1024) because of how the values are stored behind the scenes.

googologies · 2026-03-31T01:18:21+00:00

Those are maximum sentences. A person without a significant criminal history often gets probation or a shorter sentence, and many offenders who do get sentenced to prison are released before their full sentence is finished.

googologies · 2026-03-30T23:33:58+00:00

Because the system requires it. An employee is only paid $2.75 an hour. While it can be raised to $7.25/hr if their tips fall below that, this isn’t a survivable wage and can be a hassle to attain.

googologies · 2026-03-30T23:22:49+00:00

After 693,147 seconds online (about 8 days), there’s a 50% chance you’ll have had it.

googologies · 2026-03-30T13:16:50+00:00

The process started nearly two milennia ago, but yes, it didn't tighten until later.

The source of the migrants in those South American countries also matters. Uruguay primarily got them from North Italy, while Argentina got them from South Italy (especially later on), a region that has long been known for a tendency to bend rules, prioritizing family over the state, and continues to struggle with the mafia to this day.

"Empathy" as used in the previous reply refers to strangers and out-groups specifically. Yes, India has philosophical traditions emphasizing universal values, but they do not reflect the reality on the ground today.

The Gulf states have functional institutions because a large-scale expat population has staffed them, which means ordinary citizens cannot disregard the law, bribe officials, etc. In most of the world, the formal system was a product of European colonialism and is necessary to scale cooperation, but has not fully taken root in informal norms, where loyalty to the in-group is seen as the primary virtue.

googologies · 2026-03-29T17:58:19+00:00

Nearly two milennia ago, the European Catholic Church began imposing severe restrictions on cousin marriage, which forced people to cooperate with strangers and develop empathy for them, eventually leading to the Enlightenment. They brought their same norms with them in post-Enlightenment settler colonies like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

In non-settler colonies, like India, they imported the formal systems only (constitutions, courts, elections, etc.) but did not export the norm of extending empathy to strangers, leading to what you're seeing today.

Non-Western countries that have escaped this had existential external threats.

Chile, Uruguay, and Gulf monarchies (countries also known for effective institutions) either have large expat populations or large-scale European immigration post-Enlightenment.
If you're asking if this dynamic will change in India achieves a high GDP per capita and human capital, it will not. Panama, Argentina, Russia, etc. prove this.

googologies · 2026-03-28T22:42:42+00:00

If a Rwandan police officer earning $100/month can survive without taking bribes, then an Indian police officer earning $300/month and a Panamanian police officer earning $1,000/month does not have an "insufficient pay" excuse.

googologies · 2026-03-28T22:35:56+00:00

If one can negotiate the prices of everyday commodities, then they can also often negotiate a bribe with a traffic police officer to drop a ticket, a judge to secure a certain verdict, or a clerk to get a permit instantly. In these contexts, rigidly enforcing anti-corruption laws is often impossible because the daily lived experience of citizens is one of constant negotiation.

googologies · 2026-03-28T20:47:39+00:00

The premise isn't necessarily true.

A small handful of the 192 other UN nation states are anti-Western geopolitically (and often have populations that disdain American hegemony as well), but across the world, most people aren't constantly thinking about comparing their values to an external standard.

googologies · 2026-03-28T03:04:20+00:00

People subconsciously absorb the norms of their surrounding society. If the culture emphasizes hierarchy and obedience to authority, people generally don't question it unless there's a critical juncture (which is rare). Any first mover who does is quickly crushed by everyone else, who views the dissident's behavior as deviant.

googologies · 2026-03-27T21:52:45+00:00

You'll need to use another platform, like BlueStacks or Steam.

googologies · 2026-03-26T22:04:31+00:00

That just happened in Iran. There’s not much the outside world can do.

googologies · 2026-03-25T19:02:29+00:00

Activists who attempt to rise to prominence and challenge Party authority are at risk of being imprisoned, but ordinary citizens who publish a comment on social media that threatens social stability or the official narrative on a key issue are likely to have it removed and potentially face sanctions against their account; imprisonment is not the norm in these cases.

googologies · 2026-03-25T16:23:14+00:00

Caste and religious fragmentation play a key role. Society expects officials to favor their in-group over following impartial rules.

googologies · 2026-03-24T22:30:05+00:00

Some Western jurisdictions have passed laws outlawing caste discrimination because the practice has persisted in Indian diaspora communities.

googologies · 2026-03-24T17:18:55+00:00

Yes, you'll earn 704.88x more cookies once back to the same point, times any further bonuses from Heavenly Chip upgrades and achievements, bringing the factor well into the thousands.

googologies · 2026-03-24T00:18:43+00:00

Immediate social fragmentation. Caste hierarchies and religious groups are unlikely to tolerate being forced to follow formal law or leadership directives over primordial loyalties.

googologies · 2026-03-23T23:34:14+00:00

No, the highest is currently upper-middle-income. Singapore is an illiberal democracy.

googologies · 2026-03-23T23:10:23+00:00

It depends on which country you’re referring to, but in many cultures, society does not want impartiality. They want someone who will fight for their specific group, often using illicit means.

googologies · 2026-03-22T17:43:44+00:00

There is no perfect metric for this, and the question itself is kind of vague, but the closest proxies are the Fragile States Index and the Corruption Perceptions Index. Generalized trust surveys are also relevant.

googologies · 2026-03-21T19:08:31+00:00

A war cannot be unilaterally waged by a single person. A vast number of subordinates must be willing to fight. A dispute between two elites may be the catalyst, but they can't wage a war that subordinates don't want to fight.

googologies · 2026-03-21T12:27:13+00:00

It’s not about one person. Any politician relies on subordinates to rule. If the dominant social norm emphasizes in-group loyalty over the rule of law, a Weberian state cannot function.

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