Niall Ferguson's book, Civilization, The West and all the Rest, suggests the six major factors that enabled the West to dominate half the world for a couple of centuries. Interestingly, democracy was not one of them.
In a fascinating interview of Ayaan Hirsi Ali by Jordan Peterson, in a discussion about immigration to Europe, a topic for another time, he asked her what she thought the appeal to immigrants was in the West. She said:
1. Timeliness! ie things run on time, efficiency, organization, low levels of corruption
2. Lower levels of violence
3. Men's restless aggression is channeled usefully ( her latest book Prey was a suggestion that women in Europe are now afraid to walk in public places because of sexual harassment and assault by young men, mostly migrants)
4. Prosperity, sufficient to address the hardships of those at the bottom of the hierarchy.
What was refreshing about this is it did not cite the Judeo-Christian heritage or the benefits of capitalism, or as you or I might say, freedom of speech, democracy etc. She identifies what the results of those things are and that are visible, the fruits of liberal democracy.
But since you didnt mean to send it, I didnt say this.
Well shoot, it was a great read.
Here is what I was going to say.
Niall Ferguson's book, Civilization, The West and all the Rest, suggests the six major factors that enabled the West to dominate half the world for a couple of centuries. Interestingly, democracy was not one of them.
In a fascinating interview of Ayaan Hirsi Ali by Jordan Peterson, in a discussion about immigration to Europe, a topic for another time, he asked her what she thought the appeal to immigrants was in the West. She said:
1. Timeliness! ie things run on time, efficiency, organization, low levels of corruption
2. Lower levels of violence
3. Men's restless aggression is channeled usefully ( her latest book Prey was a suggestion that women in Europe are now afraid to walk in public places because of sexual harassment and assault by young men, mostly migrants)
4. Prosperity, sufficient to address the hardships of those at the bottom of the hierarchy.
What was refreshing about this is it did not cite the Judeo-Christian heritage or the benefits of capitalism, or as you or I might say, freedom of speech, democracy etc. She identifies what the results of those things are and that are visible, the fruits of liberal democracy.
But since you didnt mean to send it, I didnt say this.
Eric
That's OK. I was going to harass you about your choice of music in your intro to your un-un-sendable.
Since I get a second chance, I'll go ahead and harass.
A better music choice would have been this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVF-FAaZDM
Or this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fQrvvlZ6YI (not totally relevant)
Or something wholly irrelevant, but simply cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ROwVrF0Ceg
Or most anything by Tuba Skinny or Martin & Sabine Pyrker.
Eric Hines