Balance between neutered citizens and overly violent citizens...?

[HoreTore]

Not all of Africa was colonized. Look at Ethiopia: it's never been a colony, but its politico/economic situation is no different from the average African country.

You're right, being carpet-bombed by the Italians is a lot better.

And Ethiopia is the only example, by the way. All the rest was colonized. Besides, Husar's comment was largely about the present west/africa relations.

[Husar]

Not all of Africa was colonized. Look at Ethiopia: it's never been a colony, but its politico/economic situation is no different from the average African country.

And the USA were never colonized by anyone so none of the problems in the USA could ever possibly have anything to do with what's going on in Mexico.

[rvg]

You're right, being carpet-bombed by the Italians is a lot better.

Britain was carpet-bombed by the Germans. Germany was carpet-bombed by the Allies. Both recovered.

[Husar]

Britain was carpet-bombed by the Germans.

This is a joke, right?

Germany was carpet-bombed by the Allies. Both recovered.

So having France as a neighbor is the same as having Somalia as a neighbor?
Does Poland qualify as being on Kenia's level and the Netherlands are Europe's Eritrea?

How much did the USA give to Ethiopia as part of the Marshall plan?

[HoreTore]

Britain was carpet-bombed by the Germans. Germany was carpet-bombed by the Allies. Both recovered.

....After recieving a ton of money from the US, yes.

Does this mean you're arguing for increased foreign aid to Africa?

[rvg]

....After recieving a ton of money from the US, yes.

Does this mean you're arguing for increased foreign aid to Africa?

USSR got bombed too. Wasn't part of the Marshall plan, but managed to rebuild just fine.

[HoreTore]

USSR got bombed too. Wasn't part of the Marshall plan, but managed to rebuild just fine.

Are you of the opinion that the Soviet Union was all fun and games now...?

Or are you suggesting that the Ethiopians should enslave a million Germans to build a few cities, as well as dismantling the Samsung HQ and rebuilding it in Addis Adeba?

[rvg]

Are you of the opinion that the Soviet Union was all fun and games now...?

Or are you suggesting that the Ethiopians should enslave a million Germans to build a few cities, as well as dismantling the Samsung HQ and rebuilding it in Addis Adeba?

I'm suggesting that Ethiopia's problems didn't have a thing to do with WW2 or colonialism.

[HoreTore]

I'm suggesting that Ethiopia's problems didn't have a thing to do with WW2 or colonialism.

What, if I may ask, do you consider the root cause of Ethiopias problems then?

[rvg]

What, if I may ask, do you consider the root cause of Ethiopias problems then?

They missed the industrial revolution. As for who to blame for that, hell if I know.

[Vuk]

Not REALLY the answer I was looking for, mate... There must be some middle way...

*not that I would be opposed to landmines on my front garden*

lol, laws in many places in America are just as bad as Sweden. Luckily where I live, if I saw that I could go out with a gun and a phone, hold them where they stood, and call the police. Someone in Chicago would be in the same boat as you though.

[Strike For The South]

Considering the African colonies were set up solely for the exploitation of raw materials, it should come as no surprise that they have trouble "progressing". It's a bit rich to look at the Africans after half a century and look on in dismay at their half functioning democracies.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Considering the African colonies were set up solely for the exploitation of raw materials, it should come as no surprise that they have trouble "progressing". It's a bit rich to look at the Africans after half a century and look on in dismay at their half functioning democracies.

True - but then you have the countries that are just barbarism with t-shirts and AK's.

That's a bit harder to explain.

RE Kad's Iranian pictures - it's important to remember that this lifestyle was adopted happily enough by the young - but it was ENFORCED on everyone. No head coverings - no calls to prayer.

Piety became a way of resisting the repressive regime of the Shah.

[Strike For The South]

True - but then you have the countries that are just barbarism with t-shirts and AK's.

That's a bit harder to explain..

How so?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

USSR got bombed too. Wasn't part of the Marshall plan, but managed to rebuild just fine.

The growth of the Soviet Union's economic and military power was amazing, but they were crippled by WW2/Stalin. Estimates place the Soviet Union at 162M persons in 1937. The committee census report did not meet with Stalin's approval -- he had promised the Party Congress 168M -- so the committee was gulaged.

Post Stalin, in the 1950s, their population was barely 208M despite acquiring Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, most of Karelia, part of Eastern Poland, and part of Romania and adding all of those populations to the total. The Soviet pre-war population was, LITERALLY, decimated. Actually, the number was worse with 1 in every 8 pre-war Russians dead.

Population in what is today Russia was estimated at about 110M in 1940, today that number is about 143M. By contrast, France has just under 66M persons today, having had roughly 42M in 1940.

They did rebuild, yes, but is was always more of a Potemkin village thing then they ever let on.

[Sp4]

This is horrible! Don't people have a problem with a law like that?

Property can be insured against theft. In a way, there really is no reason to confront anyone. Call the police, let them deal with it, that's what they preach. Getting involved yourself just makes it all very confusing, apart from you putting yourself in danger.

:p