> extraction rates are on the order of 50% (for basically nothing in return).

Hey that's pretty much what we have in Germany, probably even higher thanks to vat, capital gains, &c.

You have roads, infrastructure, a social security system, hospitals, schools…

The peasant got nothing.

	▲	jalapenos 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Not quite, there was social spending on things like (simple) roads and temples (which could double as schools), but obviously nothing close to today's (wealthy) standards.