[garbanzo]

The West is successful because it developed the right set of ideas - if it were genetics then why did it take until ~400 to 500 years ago (out of roughly 400,000 years Homo sapiens sapiens has been around) for Europe to take off? Some massive genetic switch happening around 1500AD?

One of those key ideas was openness to other cultures and civilizations. The West didn't take the NIH (not invented here) attitude some places took and thrived. But the Renaissance eats it own children - as intolerance creeps back into the Western mind.

[WRhine]

One of those key ideas was openness to other cultures and civilizations. The West didn't take the NIH (not invented here) attitude some places took and thrived.

Most of the intermingling of peoples in Europe during that time was with other western civilizations. You are mixing apples and oranges on the false assumption that all cultures are created equal. We see none of this in the animal kingdom. Why would it not be the same for humans?

[junta]

If genetics does not matter I'll eat my hat. To think otherwise is so fuzzy headed as to almost be loony liberal.