Saturday, March 12, 2005
francis fukuyama on the protestant ethic ... sounding authoritative as usual.
the only part i object to is here:
"What held traditional China and Japan back, we now understand, was not culture, but stifling institutions, bad politics and misguided policies. Once these were fixed, both societies took off."
we now understand??? you condescending jackass. what about actual, material conditions? like the size of the population? or the climate and natural environment? or the distribution of natural resources?
and in what sense exactly are you defining "back"??? took off where? straight toward the consumer culture and deepseated spiritual ennui that define the western world today?
the only part i object to is here:
"What held traditional China and Japan back, we now understand, was not culture, but stifling institutions, bad politics and misguided policies. Once these were fixed, both societies took off."
we now understand??? you condescending jackass. what about actual, material conditions? like the size of the population? or the climate and natural environment? or the distribution of natural resources?
and in what sense exactly are you defining "back"??? took off where? straight toward the consumer culture and deepseated spiritual ennui that define the western world today?
