Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: Nikas777

Really good observation. It is also noteworthy that after 1453 Western Europe started serious efforts to discover other routes to China and India. The resulting discoveries brought immense wealth into the west and it was from that point that Europe began to outstrip the rest of the world in power and influence. It is only since the advent of oil as a major source of wealth that (some of) the Islamic nations have emerged as influential in world politics.


12 posted on 09/08/2009 8:30:04 AM PDT by scory
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]


To: scory
It is only since the advent of oil as a major source of wealth that (some of) the Islamic nations have emerged as influential in world politics.

Yes, but that can't make the engines that use the oil and gas and that may be ending soon anyway (soon in terms of how history views time - we may be long gone before then).

13 posted on 09/08/2009 8:35:08 AM PDT by Nikas777 (En touto nika, "In this, be victorious")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

To: scory
Expanding on our two points - The Muslims taxing trade between east and west is sort of like how Muslims are living off petroleum now.

But just like how Western Europeans bypassed the Muslims to trade directly with the east ended Islamic dominance the end of petroleum will also make the Muslim nations economic base crash. Meaning all they will have to offer the world after that happens is trade in dried dates and spices as was the case just a century or so ago.

14 posted on 09/08/2009 8:43:48 AM PDT by Nikas777 (En touto nika, "In this, be victorious")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

To: scory

One more point - your comments got me thinking more than I normally do - China had put to sea a generation before Columbus did - and could easily have discovered America (some claim it did do just that) but the Chinese did not really care to do so because the whole world went to them for trade anyway - why spend time, treasure and effort to go to the barbarians (as they called all non-Chinese) when the barbarians came to them? So the Chinese atrophied while the Europeans - by necessity - explored and innovated.


15 posted on 09/08/2009 8:47:35 AM PDT by Nikas777 (En touto nika, "In this, be victorious")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson