There was already a demand for that "shit". Like a ton of westerners, who want something shiny and brandy, but dont want to pay for it  Chinese merely complied with that demand.

On a side note, Ive read that Chinese these days are investing in eastern Europe (like Poland) and south Asia (primarily Vietnam) for outsourcing. Average salary along the shores of the country already passed 1000 dollar mark so it is apparently cheaper to start production in either developing countries as Vietnam or even move the production to Europe to by pass local import taxes.

Cyber police might do better job these days, since most of these killers leave abudant evidence on internet well before any attack.

Also, gun violence as a whole has been going down for years in United States and other countries where permits are legal. Its not even about gun control laws.

Precisely. Gulf States usually have relatively small aristocratic class on top, who have jobs in public sector created for them. Real work is done by foreign specialists and slave labourers from Asia and Africa. When you realize that all those vast natural resources are all used up by couple of hundred of thousands individuals it makes sense.

Did you notice how argumentation of some of these of atheists resemble that of muslims? I hope insecurity about their "beliefs" wont lead to more concentration camps.

Not like it would be the first or second time.


You actually havent addressed any questions, that were raised since page one. Just more confirmation bias.

The "worst" is subjective here. Extinction of then dominant species provided plenty room for further devolpment of life on Earth. Mammals that inherited Earth have by nature significantly larger brain to body mass ratio, than lizards.

And well, here we are. So it wasnt "worst" from my point of view.

It might be the only major western exchange that is not completely owned by insiders.

I wouldnt discount its influence.

Just as you were programmed to believe by your parents to be an animal with oversized brain for its body mass?

I grew up in an atheist family, in postcommunist, industrialized country. And I found my way to a God.

A people’s religion, their faith, creates their culture, and their culture creates their civilization. And when faith dies, the culture dies, the civilization dies, and the people begin to die.

So far it unfolds very much like 2013 bubble did. Altcoins shortly making boosts during bitcoin correction - then more growth (wave 5?) for Bitcoin.

Quite exciting and eventful year for all of us.

Hi, I just want to let you know, that I absolutely, utterly love "moro armor" that blacksmiths in your country used to produce. Perfect convergence of aesthetics and practicality.

Now, on to the economics.

I belive, that your countrys turbulent history has alot to do with it. From what I could read up on it, unlike say Koreans or Japanese, various people of the islands were only united farly late during colonial period with major help from jezuits and european guns.

Now, what makes a country? Common language, culture (usually, but not always shaped by religion), shared history and values. Otherwise, you end up with privately run corporation with its people as slaves.

To amend differences between various, formerly independent tribes and make progressive changes, you need A LOT of time. Something only crazy people and religous freaks are capable of. Is Duterte man like that? Long term, I see no reason why your country wouldnt catch up with southern Europe or say Taiwan. IF it can resolve its internal friction.

Venezuela is specific in the fact, that it tried to take a shortcut. Forsake development of its civil society in favor of "leap forwards" as Chinese communists used to say. This never works out as state controlled development of every single aspect of citizens life undermines private enterprise and stumps their development. Once the regime falls, its people will have to start all over again. Like Russians or Ukrainians in 1990.

Actually, after Toba catastrophe theory, entire human race supposedly collapsed to between 3 to 10 thousand individuals (including children, elderly and infertile). This repeated itself as various continents around the world were settled by very small groups of paleolithic survivors (about 1000 for Americas) So we are all likely product of incest regardless, if you lack abstractive thinking to understand Bible, sir.

No. Look at China, Indonesia, Phillipines. Look at resurgent Iran and Turkey and Brazil. Accumulation of wealth takes time and dedication, but its not impossible. Likewise, rich wont stay rich, if they take it for granted.


What kind of people in UAE and Kuwait drive ferraris?  Really, look it up. Those city states are ruled by small enclave of locals, who inherited all the resources. They are surrounded by slave labourers from places like Pakistan and Somalia. Algeria by comparison is country without slave labour but also many resources, that Gulf Arabs take for granted. Therefore structure of their economy is different.

You can see similar differences between anglospheric countries, who also share culture but adapted to different conditions.


And if you look at countries, that are rich these days, mister - they all became rich, when they were religious. Protestantism in the case of West and confucianism/buddhism in the case of far East. Altough different, both instilled culture of work ethics into their respective people.

You westerners are not rich, because you choose not to believe. You were already born rich into place where generation after generation of hard working folk accumulated wealth over past centuries.

Long time ago, Max Weber (yeah, the vocabulary guy) wrot0e on work ethics and influence of protestantism in the West. Since, faith (or ethos) shapes our culture, it makes sense, that some societies place much greater emphasis on career and accumulation of wealth. This could be just as important is inherent IQ.

It was written all the way back in 1904.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protestant_Ethic_and_the_Spirit_of_Capitalism

It goes both ways. About  70% of IQ is genetic, the rest is dependant on environment and nutrition - Flynn effect.

In case of perfect conditions, Africa still would not outperform Japanese or Swiss, but they would close the gap significantly. Get where middle easterners are on the map. It is obvious, that populations with higher national IQ can and do perform better under similar conditions, that is true.


No, you are referring to individuals. Countries are completely different case.

Congo is sitting on perhaps largest reserves of diamonds and natural gas in the world but is unable to extract them. In fact, the country did not even exist before colonizators came around.

On the other hand South Korea had lower living standarts than majority of subsaharan Africa after civil war and virtually no resources. Look at it today.

So rather it is question of culture vs IQ of native population, not some invinsible "loop". Furthermore, did it occur to you, that those things may be related? Some countries were never colonized in the past millenia. Others multiple times by different cultures.

Finally, a US president that admitted country is turning blind eye to export of islamic terrorism by Saudi Arabia? That would be incredible for world peace but I doubt it. Trump makes bussiness, not hand outs.

And the fake news including Washington post already have an abysmal track record at reporting. This time they try to be as vague as possible. "We heard, that Trump maybe did say something classified, but we dont know what." Roll on the minute of hate from simpletons.

I am sceptical, but it would be nice to see more cooperation between major powers on the issue of islamists.

Since we hit a support line at around 1650, we might stay here for a couple of days.

Any thoughts on, if we continue all the way down to 1200 or bounce back to 1800 first?

By the way, the panic was amusing, but it is clear as day we are looking at market consolidation, not start of a bear market.

Why do you say "scam", when I am sourcing statistics from secular governments? You wont find any country in the entire world where nonbelievers have enough children to atleast replace their own numbers. In such cases evolution theory prescripts extinction, no?

Indeed, atheist scientists do believe there is such thing as "religious gene", thats what you are asking right? You do not care for what I think. So let atheists speak for themselves and how they admit, that religious will inherit the Earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_gene

Already wrote, that I see convergence between science and religion as both complement each other in description of natural phenomena and Gods will. One from material, the other from spiritual perspective.

XhomerX10,

quite the opposite is true, friend. That map, while quite plausible doesnt explain three things.

Why some people within the same IQ range outperform their peers (question of culture, which in the anglosaxon countries was shaped by protenstatism and later englightement).

Does IQ and environment influence culture and if so then how?

Why and how did such massive disparity in IQ formed in the first place, if we are supposed to be all members of same species, originating from EA and can interbreed.

Thats popular in secular liberal circles in the west. To teach youngsters what collective guilt is and to instill fear upon them. People are more obedient that way.

Even though some western european countries managed (due to many factors) to extert control over many continents for several generations - there were already vast differences between cultures around the world. Some places like Africa and Australia being firmly stuck in animism and stone age. Other, like Europe and middle East lagged behind east Asia for most of their history (and arguably again today).

I have to agree with you - if you are only concerned about material possesions, than indeed environment is paramount. Since the world is so incredibly globalized today, IQ of population is not as important as the prevailing culture (which includes work ethics).

Koreans easily outperform any african nation, regardless of the fact, that after civil war they had lower living standarts and relatively poor soil.

People like you are the reason why I, coming from atheist family, found God late in my life.

You are referring to Flynn effect, not fucking evolution theory! Better nutrition and healthcare has nothing do with genetic drift and variation or even formation of different species.

http://www.unz.com/isteve/the-flynn-effect-for-height/

And you know what? It is fully reversible. Early modern humans being significantly smaller, than their stone age ancestors both in height, brain size and muscle mass. Due to lifestyle, not genes.

This is as hilarious as it is dumb. I think only difference between you and the OP is slightly better english grammar.

Faith is reflection of individual character. Good person will also be good believer with firm moral compass. Dumb one will use it as leverage for his inferiority complex. And then there are people like you, who will believe anything as long as they can feel safe.