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[Muz]

Just wondering, what is mercantilism? It seems to pop up in a lot of games. Wikipedia mentions its influence and criticism and all, but not much explanation on what it is.

I get that it's sort of like a government protecting its merchants. What I miss is why they're against exporting gold or why they choose to minimize imports. If the world tries to minimize imports, then who is everyone exporting to?

[andrea]

mercantilism operates on the idea that more gold = better for the nation.
if you minimize imports and maximize exports, more gold enters the country than it leaves, increasing the total gold in the system.
as you said, however, if everyone does that there is nobody to exports to. I suppose that is one of the reasons because of which free trade is now the leading idea.

this is what I remember, which may be wrong.

[ChairmanPoo]

IIRC it was a doctrine sponsored in the 18-19th centuries, which consisted on extreme protectionist practices towards one's merchants. For instance, Spain (officially) only allowed one british ship (as, in general) to trade with their colonies, and so on.

What I miss is why they're against exporting gold

AFAIK until relatively shortly ago the ammount of gold a nation had determined it's currency's value. Heck, even today gold reserves are very important to all nations.

If the world tries to minimize imports, then who is everyone exporting to?

Their colonies, I'd guess. Bear in mind that the nations that practiced this had world spanning empires.

[Nikov]

IIRC it was a policy of ensuring all goods needed by a nation could be obtained from national territories. Or so I learned in college. Everyone thought it was stupid, except for me, who realized with all of these countries constantly declaring war on eachother having your own source of war materials was vital.

[scriver]

How contemplative.

[Footkerchief]

How contemplative.

Seriously.  Y'all know there are resources for this kind of thing, right.

[cowofdoom78963]

We need to make a mercantilists of bay12 thread.

[Jreengus]

How contemplative.

Seriously.  Y'all know there are resources for this kind of thing, right.

Wikipedia mentions its influence and criticism and all, but not much explanation on what it is.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

We need to make a mercantilists of bay12 thread.

Just change the title of this thread. Not that it matters much. Most countries are making far less money than they spend. (Lookin at you, National Debt.)

[Leafsnail]

We need to make a mercantilists of bay12 thread.

Just change the title of this thread. Not that it matters much. Most countries are making far less money than they spend. (Lookin at you, National Debt.)

To be fair, the money has to be coming from somewhere.

[Phmcw]

We need to make a mercantilists of bay12 thread.

Just change the title of this thread. Not that it matters much. Most countries are making far less money than they spend. (Lookin at you, National Debt.)

To be fair, the money has to be coming from somewhere.

No, that's the magic of the financial system. Lending money that doesn't exist.

[cowofdoom78963]

Does money really even exist?

[Leafsnail]

Yeah, but someone, somewhere, has the money, and is lending it to you.

Probably in China, they own a lot of US debts.

[Phmcw]

Yeah, but someone, somewhere, has the money, and is lending it to you.

Probably in China, they own a lot of US debts.

Actually, you don't have to have the money to lend it.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Money is an abstract concept. A mutualy agreed upon unit of exchange for goods, in an attempt to solve the inequality issues of the barter system. So no, most of the money dosen't exist in any physical manner.