"The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do."

[shropshire 0]

Why are we sucessfull?

Well one reason could be that we have enough resources (food initially, due to a strong agriculture) to be able to release people to become educated rather than producing enough food to only support themselves and their nearest clan.

By realeasing folk to become better educated, our industrialisation grow, which again, released more people into education ..... And also into the military.

If you can release folk from generating the essentials for life, they can add to the countries industrial, cultural and military might.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Guest]

Quote

Interesting quote. Who is it attributed to?
Though the reasoning sounds solid, I have to disagree with this person. The West has not won the world. The West, as it were, controls a small portion of the civilized world. A VERY small portion when compared to Eastern culture. But I do agree that we are very proficient at the application of organized violence.

And we're safer because of it.

mh
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[vortexring 0]

Are we really safer from it?

With what's happening in Afghanistan and the Middle east, are we really safer?

I think we're more the opposite of safe. But glad you think so.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[Guest]

Quote

Are we really safer from it?

With what's happening in Afghanistan and the Middle east, are we really safer?

I think we're more the opposite of safe. But glad you think so.

I think the quote has no real merit, as it seems to attribute the success of Western civilization to military prowess alone. For exmple, "Won the world" doesn't really make any sense. Does this refer to cultural influence or conquest by force of arms?

mh
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[vortexring 0]

Quite likely both. Also,if the statement was made shortly after the Cold war, it might have been less ambiguous then.

This and last century have been the West's heyday.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'