Quote:
Originally Posted by GirlySports
There were other civilizations that were awesome too. The Muslims were awesome between 900 and 1400 and fought the Chinese on the west border continuously. Baghdad was a tremendous city.
I think China is always under turmoil. I always treat Chinese middle age numbers of population and deaths in military battles as inflated. They had stuff but didn't use it. My favorite is that China invested gunpowder but not guns. Let's make firecrakers instead!
When you speak to most Chinese today they are not happy with the communist government and just treat it like another 'dynasty' that will fall in 50, 100, 200 years. The US is still the world's engine economically and militarily.
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I agree about the Persians, Bhagdad was an amazing city until they pissed off the Monguls..
You're right that the Communist Party will 'lose the mandate of heaven' at some point...although I wouldn't bet that the liberal democracy of the US will outlast it.
Regarding the Chinese technology...I remember reading that for all of their inventions they never figured out the mathematics behind the parabola...a strange blind spot.
This book is a great summary of
Joseph Needham's work (which is an amazing story)