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Questions like these strike me as so unbelievably disingenuous. Perhaps I'm expecting too much, perhaps most people really don't know.
Haiti, as a country, had been extorted from by much larger and stronger countries since its inception. They were extorted by the French, essentially under the threat of re-occupation and presumably re-enslavement. Then the US invaded and occupied them and set up a system to syphon their wealth off. And now the Western world looks on in bewilderment, sometimes genuine, sometimes facetious, as to how they could be in the situation they are in now.
A better quetio is why a country like mexico has never elvole like the US. To expect taht a small island to compore to the US is not realistic. But then if you look you can see why England became a domiate power and evolve but you might not like the answer.
Only because it's in the news right now, I was thinking of Haiti and the United States. They both were discovered by Columbus in 1492. If you consider 1492, year 0 for both countries, why is it taking Haiti so much longer to evolve/progress? I'm talking in every way, including technologically. Why do we talk about sending men to the moon and they talk about toilets. You don't even have to compare one country to another country. Look at Iraq and how old they are? Is their civilization really that much different than it was a hundred years ago? Why is Iraq so different from Qatar or Kuwait, for example? I'm thinking some of you might point to differences in resources or wars but look at Israel. They are the only place in the region that doesn't seem to have any oil and they're always involved in war and unrest and yet they have more modern conveniences than some nearby countries that have been in existence a lot longer.
It can be argued that this country's conservative element has regressed THIS country to a level below Haiti. With the resources and opportunity to bridge the differences that exist among people, there is a huge segment of this country that prefers to emphasize the differences and remain neanderthals. Shame when you live in a country that offers all the advantages, yet choose to remain supremely ignorant. These people here who have but seek the bottom are WORSE than those in Haiti who never had IMO.
By the way, this country was not "discovered" by Columbus in 1492. That year, Columbus happened upon a country that was already inhabited, and he became an intruder with insincere intentions. Shame on him and his dishonorable people.
Location: Long Island via Chapel Hill NC, Go Heels?
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Truth be told, Columbus did a better job at creating a prostitution business than discovering land, at which he knew nothing about. He just went for "gold" and failed to conquer Hispaniola. Kind of comical in my opinion. All that for nothing as far as my eyes can see. Columbus is so important in elementary school, and I'm in high school and I couldn't care less who he is. The main reason why countries don't thrive, is because bigger countries took them over with big intentions, but failed, so it led that country off track to not be able to build something big, bold and beautiful. Look at the countries we have most of ourfocus on. They are all large, and were never really "taken over" per say, but either defeated and rebuilt itself, or conquered everything and pressed forward. Some of the most well-known countries were those with some of the biggest problems, but they managed to climb out of their big holes somehow.
Last edited by TarheelsMatt; 01-19-2010 at 08:35 PM..
Reason: grammarrrr.
Questions like these strike me as so unbelievably disingenuous. Perhaps I'm expecting too much, perhaps most people really don't know.
Haiti, as a country, had been extorted from by much larger and stronger countries since its inception. They were extorted by the French, essentially under the threat of re-occupation and presumably re-enslavement. Then the US invaded and occupied them and set up a system to syphon their wealth off. And now the Western world looks on in bewilderment, sometimes genuine, sometimes facetious, as to how they could be in the situation they are in now.
Unbelievable.
This is why alot of third world countries need to look inward for answers, since trying to impose a western standard only leads to drama.
What most of these countries need is a strong rule or law and property rights.
It can be argued that this country's conservative element has regressed THIS country to a level below Haiti. With the resources and opportunity to bridge the differences that exist among people, there is a huge segment of this country that prefers to emphasize the differences and remain neanderthals. Shame when you live in a country that offers all the advantages, yet choose to remain supremely ignorant. These people here who have but seek the bottom are WORSE than those in Haiti who never had IMO.
By the way, this country was not "discovered" by Columbus in 1492. That year, Columbus happened upon a country that was already inhabited, and he became an intruder with insincere intentions. Shame on him and his dishonorable people.
My thought was that someone was going to offer up, "European influence" as to why some countries progressed faster than others. I was intimating that was probably not the case.
Only because it's in the news right now, I was thinking of Haiti and the United States. They both were discovered by Columbus in 1492. If you consider 1492, year 0 for both countries, why is it taking Haiti so much longer to evolve/progress? I'm talking in every way, including technologically. Why do we talk about sending men to the moon and they talk about toilets. You don't even have to compare one country to another country. Look at Iraq and how old they are? Is their civilization really that much different than it was a hundred years ago? Why is Iraq so different from Qatar or Kuwait, for example? I'm thinking some of you might point to differences in resources or wars but look at Israel. They are the only place in the region that doesn't seem to have any oil and they're always involved in war and unrest and yet they have more modern conveniences than some nearby countries that have been in existence a lot longer.
Because like evolution itself, the evolution of countries isn't linear in progression.
My thought was that someone was going to offer up, "European influence" as to why some countries progressed faster than others. I was intimating that was probably not the case.
As somebody else mentioned, there seems to be bad booju (sp?) when the French colonize (if you want to call it that). I recommend a history class if you have the time, specifically French history. It will blow your socks off.
america is a good example in regard to this loaded question. when talking about evolution, many tend to assume that comprises everything about a society and that is unrealistic.
in pragmatic terms, a society that is considered evolved tends to be more industrialized, has significant resources or access, and has modern conveniences. this does not take into account that along with so-called progress, there can be degenerative elements that can devolve as well alongside. for instance, mass food production on the one hand has it's benefits but i don't think anyone would agree that mcdonalds fare or processed food is evolved or good for you. it's how technology is utilized and if not coupled with wisdom, you don't always get 'evolved' results. this is just one example and 'evolved' is a myriad concept too. one element or aspect may be evolved but not another etc. this is kind of natural as well, just as a society that is not considered the most modern or 'evolved', may have a very evolved aspect that is unnoticed.
What most of these countries need is a strong rule or law and property rights.
Most third world countries already have property rights. The rich have a right to all the property. And everything that can be grown on it or mined beneath it, and everyone who lives on it. If the peasants get the idea that they can have some of the property, the US Marines come ashore the next morning to defend the property rights.
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