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elanabrooklyn:

re-crudescence:

cast interviews: the wives

http://tobtr.com/s/7659633 if you want to hear us talk about the wonderful mad max film. Really happy with this week’s podcast.

It includes things like how religion/patriarchy, capitalism and war as personified by the war lords, how Max is a model ally to women, how Immortan Joe is Nestle, war boys as child soldiers.

And more! With racefortheironthrone and dirk2112 as our guests!

It’s not Game of Thrones, but if you’d like to hear me babble about Mad Max, enjoy!

So why do you think the Tullys haven’t built roads, bridges, or canals? Canals may be too capital intensive without support from King’s Landing but bridges and roads should be possible. Do you think it’s because the Riverlands have only been under local rule for 300 years?

There is some evidence of bridge-building – Fairmarket had a wooden bridge, for example – but the big thing that’s lacking is a bridge over the Trident where the Kingsroad crosses the river at the Ruby Ford. 

Part of it has to do with internal vs. external rule, but it’s also the case that the River Kings of old weren’t always keen on development in the outlying regions, and would deny city charters to places on the periphery that they feared might become breakaways if they got too powerful. 

So for the Tullys, for example, it may be that they didn’t build a bridge over the Ruby Ford because the Freys objected to another bridge, the Mootons argued that it would take trade away from Maidenpool, the Blackwoods demanded that the Tullys pay for a stone bridge at Fairmarket (which would probably make the Brackens oppose any bridge-building out of spite, and they probably insist that the money should be spent on roads instead, along with the other houses whose lands abut the River Road or the Kingsroad), and other houses might have objected to paying taxes to benefit House Roote alone. A powerful enough ruling House could cow this kind of opposition or buy them off by handing out other benefits (offices, honors, various land rights), but the Tullys aren’t as secure in their position. 

I’m enjoying your chapter by chapter analysis. One chapter, in AGOT: Catelyn IV, is there ever a reason given why Catelyn doesn’t see Sansa and Arya while she’s in King’s Landing? I get she’s there secretly, but if you’re going to go secretly to King’s Landing, why not also secretly see your daughters?

Glad you’re enjoying them!

It’s a good question – I think it’s a combination of secrecy plus Ned giving her orders to get back to the North ASAP and prepare for war.

You really think that the Tullys don’t belong in Tier 2 or 2.5? Yes, they are not particularly industrious about building canals, roads or bridges. But that doesn’t really hamper trade as we know that during peacetimes mile long lines of poleboat form in the rivers. Their lack of cities is somewhat made up for by several prosperous towns, and the land is very fertile. As for tax collection, the riverlords might be quarrelsome, but all of them except the Freys seem to respect Tully authority.

I think it does actually hamper trade, by increasing costs and limiting where trade can flow. For example, I think it’s majorly harmed the growth of Maidenpool and Saltpans that neither of them are on the major road networks – if you’re a ship’s captain, why go to Maidenpool or Saltpans when you could go to King’s Landing instead, with all of those broad royal highways connecting?

And no, I don’t think the towns make up for the lack of cities – city charters are enormously important. It’s not just a matter of convenience, legally you can’t have proper markets or warehouses without a charter saying you can. 

As for tax collection, it’s not just the Freys. It’s also the Brackens and Blackwoods who the Tullys aren’t capable of restraining. It’s also the fact that the Tullys seem capable of raising only 20,000 men maximum, when the size and fertility of the Riverlands would suggest they ought to be able to raise twice that many.