Sunday, February 2, 2020

Fernand Braudel's The Wheels of Commerce

Here's a bit of history which I found pretty amazing: 

"In May 1288, the Mamluke government was trying to attract to Syria and Egypt merchants from Sind, India, China and the Yemen. It is hard to imagine in the West anything like the government decree issued on this occasion: 
We extend this invitation to illustrious personages, great merchants desirous of profits, or small retailers . . . Whoever arrives in our country will be able to remain or come and go as he pleases . . . it is truly a garden of Paradise for those who reside there . . . A divine blessing is assured for the journey of any man who inspires charity by borrowing or who accomplishes a good deed by lending."

I mean...that makes 
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me...."
look like a piker!

Those were the days, my friend.


P.S. After I finished my beautiful drawing of The Statue of Liberty, I went to save the file, and abbreviated it as SoL. At which point it hit me: Shit Out of Luck and Statue of Liberty are getting to be synonyms, aren't they? 

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