Not really. The stored grain frees up people to specialise as all hands are not needed to hunt and gather. A couple of those specialists- warriors and priest create the state apparatus. Not that is a bad thing- farmers need priests to keep the gods happy so it rains when it should etc, and warriors to protect their farms from others that would rather take, but as in anything it can and will be abused.Montegriffo wrote: ↑Sat Apr 18, 2020 2:30 amOnce you have stored grain, ie wealth, you have to have a state to come along and tax it to redistribute it for the common good.
The state is water - it can be used to grow food or you can heat it up and boil babies in it.