^Reference:

"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters. - Genghis Khan

I believe Conan just quoted Genghis Khan.

@aaronfr

Maybe you're right about me being a tad bit pessimistic. But on the flip side I believe others here are being overly optimistic over how quickly these nations can pick themselves up and all of sudden become a thriving nation.

You argue that transitory period will only temporary, but you have no way of predicting how long or how bad the damage would be. And after the damage has been done, the economy would be in a worse state than it originally had been, hence making it even harder to have a nondiscriminatory democratic state.

So, thinking that it will always end up better, or it'll all be worth it after the deed's been done, sounds a tad bit ridiculous to pessimists such as myself.

And why would you say it's going 'backwards'? Having a little less freedom to keep things in line is considered 'backwards'? (I wanna drink a beer instead of going to my job, because my boss grants me a lot of freedom.). Freedom vs control has always been the key issue all government philosophy, and one is not better than the other. When you focus too much to just one aspect, you always end up screwed (i think everyone can agree with this one). It's the balance of the two that's important. Saying 'democracy is the only progressive way' is a very biased thinking in my opinion. I believe both are equally important, and country needs to exercise both equally to be a successful nation.

You also say that as one demographic moves out of that transition, the result is a much more stable society where people can redress their grievances and not resort to violence. If this is true, then how come liberal/democratic nations such as USA (including the 60-70s), Germany, UK (including IRA), France and Belgium are having riots and domestic uprising, and had to use force to control their own populace?

Liberal nations put extra emphasis on freedom, but they still practice all the order and control other nations practice, just that those others aren't as careful with individual freedom. But apparently there are a lot more people living in peace outside of these liberal nations than just the US and all other 'liberal banner' countries. For example, countries with socialistic views such as Norway, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and maybe Syria, practice lot stricter control than its neighbor Sweden. Yet, people there have high happiness rates, not because the surveys are rigged, but they really are content with what their government is doing (just go talk to your typical Turk).

So all liberal/democratic nations having more happiness is just another 'our way is best' type of narcissistic thinking. You've got just as great a chance of ending up with happy citizens no matter what type of government it is, as long as it exercises freedom and control evenly.


@farhad

Whut! centralized power onto individuals always leads to collapse?!?!?!?! WHUT!!! That's a vastly generalized claim! How could you even say such a thing if you've educated yourself with history books?!?!?!

King SeJong of Joseon Dynasty, Louie the XIV of France, Genghis Khan and all other military conquerer types, Octavian Augustus of Rome, Emperor Han Wudi of Han Dynasty etc etc etc etc....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Chung-hee


Democratic/republic/parliamentary government these days are just a modified version of ancient kingdoms, where your advisors get to vote who would become the next king for 4 years, 10 years instead of automatically making the latest king's idiot son as their next leader. By the way, Russia is technically a parliamentary government too ya know. United States is also a democratic republic, but that didn't stop a certain guy from dominating the senate with his team. Conclusion: if you have a smart bloke on the throne, things go well. If you got an idiot on the throne, things suck. Doesn't really matter what kind of government you have, as long as they're designed to choose good leaders (Saudi Arabia's absolute monarchy also fits this description by the way. They do dethrone incompetent kings).

And also, military growth is a good way to jump start your economy. It's a good method proven through time and history. Russia has nothing left since the USSR collapsed except millions of weapons factory. Why not use this infrastructure to good use? I think it's a pretty good decision of using what you're dealt with to maximum effect if you ask me.

Also from CPAC speech.. LOL.. wingnuts..

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) got the crowd cheering early in the day. “I have been called — my kids are all aware of this — dumb, crazy man, science abuser, Holocaust denier, villain of the month, hate-filled, warmonger, Neanderthal, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun,” he announced. “And I can just tell you that I wear some of those titles proudly.”

Agreed rickegee, the realities of the worlds' most watched and editorialized events, (snuff is not war-dead or dying) should be witnessed, if the means are there-beheadings included.

Daniel Pearl?? remember him?? His widow and surviving family do….
-Again, to keep true to the theme here, the paradigm,- we live in a world driven by money. The power is in the hands of the well-insulated leftovers of who knows, the Roman Empire?? It sure ain’t fuckin’ Genghis Khan!!!

Military Industry, Pharmacueticals, Fossil Fuels, Banking, Insurance, This is why we fight. Masses are bred, fed, and led, by assumptions and desires, which the archetects of this boardgame understand fully, and exploit skillfully and completely.

The cracks in the ediface, showing and growing for years, are ignored and go unexploited, through diversion and misdirection, by giving the worker-bees what they desire…..pollen comes in new and improved colors and textures nowadays, with lots of flashy lights and cozy warm feeeeeeelings.

Hmmmmm.? Isn’t there a Colesium-like structure in every major city in the world???
And if sports aint yer diversion, then eye-candy, blow-jobs, Allah, Jesus, or mini empire- building is. What’s yours?? A holy crusade against drunk driving, or save the freekin snow beavers’ from wobal glorming!!!???

Collective heads in in asses is why the world chugs along the path of chaos….enjoy the wonder years while you can, the change will be abrupt, and all-encompassing.
Hopi you’ll aaalllllllll make it….
You will, we will.