I have seen that written online every so often. But never have I heard it spoken in this country that supposedly had people doing that. So, I write it up to the same basic catagory as how most of the world knows of the city of Chicago, but most outside of the US couldn't name the state it's in. Every society is guilty of misconceptions about every other society. Especially the part where they somehow believe that all other cultures are like their own, only a bit different... if that makes sence.Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
As for "greatest civilization" theory... what are we measuring by? If we go with the cultures that have the healthiest population (least number of non-accidental and/or preventable natural deaths)- then we'd have a close competition between America, Britain, and Australia. Clearly, this is based on averages of the populations. America was in the lead until the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afganistan.... presumably, we're no longer there.
If we go by technological developement, America and Japan are in heavy competition in that area. America is producing the innovative new devices that go one to change the world. Consider the score thus far.... electicity, light bulbs, automatic weapons, submarines, cars, airplanes, robotics, computers, the internet, and counting. Whereas the Japanese have taken our designs and improved on many (at least the most commonly used) of them.
If we count by territory owned, then it's a battle between Russia and China. Well, Russia a few decades ago. Nowadays, with all the new countries breaking away, Russia is losing territory. And, of what they still own, they can hardly be said to "controlling" it. Much of the eastern section of Russia has yet to hear of WW1.
If we count population, China is the clear victor... India, second place, doesn't come close. However, like Russia, many Chinese villages are hardly connected to the country. The don't make up much of the population (most of which you'll find within a few choice cities)- but they make up a quarter of the area within China's borders. There are over a DOZEN different languages in China. At least three of which were discovered since '94.
As far as military might. Well, in this case, the US is definately unrivalled. Fully committed to a total war (instead of this fine-tuned occupation stuff), the American military could easily crush any other country's forces. Probably make a good run at taking the combined forces of the rest of the planet.... which we'd probably lose, but it'd be one helluva competition. Of course, nukes change the system a bit.
Regardless, we can rule out all ancient civilizations. Their governments were corrupt in ways that make contemporary stuff look childlike in it's innocence. Their populations were doomed to short, miserable, bleak and pitiable existances. Life and death were cheap... when starvation, violence and laughably simple diseases are the top three killers in the world (the so-called "black plague", people catch it on occasions even today, it's often mistaken as a bad flu). We might as well shrug off their technologies.
As far as the arguments about socialism/etc/etc- let history do the judging of how well that works. There has yet to be a socialist or communist government that has lasted any longer than a couple decades. And don't claim that China is an exception. China's a fascist regime, communist in name only.
