I think the American's military could still destroy the rest of the world's combined militaries three times over. And the petro-dollar is still intact. But possibly, not for long. As previous posters have written, history is not over yet. The Chinese are notorious for long term planning, patient strategery. The Americans demonstrate extremely short-term thinking.
I've extolled the virtues of Guns, Germs, and Steel on these boards several times but on this particular point I found Diamond's explanations totally unconvincing.
on the runs wrote:
Only Ethiopia was able to successfully beat the European invaders and maintain their independence into the 20th Century.
....and Thailand, which has never been colonised....Ethiopia (Abyssinia then) was invaded by Italy in 1935.
Resources, people in Western Civilization had better access to resources, (such as food) so that they didn't have to continue living a hunter gatherer lifestyle. Once they stopped moving from place to place they could focus on different things such as science and math. Also in a lot of third world nations it takes far more energy to obtain their food. They're entire day revolves around eating. When your entire day revolves around eating it is near impossible to be innovative and begin civlization.
Once the "western" world started on their quest for technology they manipulated the third world countries making them even weaker and the Western World stronger.
Thailand doesn't fall under the Scramble for Africa. And while European colonialism in Asia was significant, it would say that it didn't reach the totality as it did in the Americas or even Africa.
And Mussolini's fascist expanse into the Horn of Africa isn't the same as thw massive European push into Africa in the second half of the 19th Century. The Italians took control in 1935, and were out before the end of the war.
Says you
irun wrote:
history isn't over yet
Because in the beginning stages of their development, they were able to express themselves without the fear of religious zealots and rulers who rule by emotions without regards to how the public feels.
The Asian's didn't get lost when they went to the places they were going.
Because all great explorers acutally got lost.
Magellan, Columbus, Bush, and Bolt
The heyday for White Imperialism was officially terminated with by the overwhelming military defeat of United States by the Army of Vietnam. The Fall of Saigon occured on April 30, 1975. Since then remaining White Imperialist colonies have been terminated in South Africa and Hong King. Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan remain contested areas with residual White Imperialist war criminal activity.
Has anybody read the book "1421?" In it the author proposes that the Chinese did sail across the Pacific and discovered the new world, although they failed to colonize. Interesting thesis, not very convincing but interesting to chew on.
Ass Whipping wrote:
Talk about revisionist history. The U.S. us getting it's ass whipped in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama is in another Vietnam. McCain got but pumped for 5 years at the Hanoi Hilton along with 500 other U.S. boy toys from the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and West Point. The British, Dutch, French, Germans, etc. all got their asses intestines, and testicles handed to them by Asians, Africans, and Islam in the 1950s after the end of WWII in countless wars of liberation. It isnn't over yet as Islam is removing the last sick remnants of Hitler's Nazi-Zionist from Palestine. I can't tell you how many 100s of victory holidays are held all over the world each year commemorating the easy defeat of American/European White Racisn/Imperialism. It's a multi-billion dollar holiday industry unto itself ;-)
oh my god. you have to be kidding. or just plain retarded.
The heyday for White Imperialism was officially terminated with by the overwhelming military defeat of United States by the Army of Vietnam. The Fall of Saigon occured on April 30, 1975. Since then remaining White Imperialist colonies have been terminated in South Africa and Hong King. Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan remain contested areas with residual White Imperialist war criminal activity.
Great to hear, bro. The freedom fighters are mopping up the last of the colonies. Only a few remaining holdouts and the world will be free. Hallelujeh ! Freedom day is coming.
oh my god. you have to be kidding. or just plain retarded.
I'm not kidding. This is not a joke. On your way home tonight, visit your local VA Cemetary. Read the names, ages, and the places where the U.S. war criminals were bludgeoned, raped, sodomized, gouged, stabbed, tortured, dismembered, poisoned, drowned, electrocuted, shot, blown up, etc. to death. Almost all were killed in a foreign country 10,000 miles away from Omaha as uninvited and armed invaders. Too bad, but that's what happened. Each gravestone is a personal message to you and every American that if you mess with other countries and you will meet the slowest and worst death imaginable.
Mr. Obvious wrote:
Has anybody read the book "1421?" In it the author proposes that the Chinese did sail across the Pacific and discovered the new world, although they failed to colonize. Interesting thesis, not very convincing but interesting to chew on.
Gavin Menzes is a joke. He can't even read Chinese.
It was fun to read, though, if you didn't take it seriously.
Those buried in National Cemeteries died for the freedom of the US and other countries. A freedom that gives us a right to education, and the ability to go to schools where we can learn how to spell words like "cemetery".
VA Cemetary wrote:
Each gravestone is a personal message to you and every American that if you mess with other countries and you will meet the slowest and worst death imaginable.
what is your point? are you saying Vietnam is a better place than the USA overall? This has nothing to do with which countries/civilizations are dominant.
here is all you can take away from the vietnam disaster of a war: don't go to a war that doesn't mean a damn thing for your country, and means everything to the people you're fighting. if vietnam had threatened the safety of the US, the US would have won that war. However, it was nothing but a terrible crime by misguided, power hungry, and stupid politicians. Our military was not motivated.
The US is still the world's only super power, and "western" ideals are dominant. As other countries seek to emerge from the darkness, they join us in our western-style progression. But those countries (particularly India and China, where the majority of people still live in poverty, and under an ineffective or oppressive government, respectively), have many, many years before they can match us.
enjoy being an alarmist cry baby sympathizer. it's cute.
Sid Meyer wrote:
Asians supposedly have higher IQs, so why did Asia not come out on top? Why did Europeans and not Asians discover the Americas? (they were not far away after all) Why did Europeans found the best country history rather than the Chinese or Japanese?
i dont even know where to start depicting the errors in your post.
Last i heard, my people discovered America, and we didnt even discover it. We were just naturally here.
America is NOT the best country in the world. technologically, socially, athletically, or politically.
And Asia is on top of the world in all aspects, except athletically.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa wrote:
here is all you can take away from the vietnam disaster of a war: don't go to a war that doesn't mean a damn thing for your country, and means everything to the people you're fighting.
.
Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
um..... ever heard of ma's family army?