OT:US don't qualify for EU membership, don't spank children, WW2 history.

[Fyron]

It could be noted at this time that, had the USA not rebelled against the British yoke, slavery would have been banished at an earlier date. This may have reduced the construction of the American industrial giant, but that too is another arguement...

Slavery had nothing to do with the construction of the American industrial giant. ALL of the slave states had very poor industrial facilities, as they were primarily agricultural. The colonies/states that became heavy industrial centers made very little use of slavery, and abolished it early on in their statehoods. This is what allowed the North to win the US Civil War; they had a powerful industrial base, whereas the South had almost none. The Confederacy only Lasted as long as it did due to their excellent military leadership compared to the poor leadership of the Union armies up until Grant.

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
More likely they'll be paved over, unfortunatly. It doesn't help that the various legislatures are too often run by idiots.

Problem is that national parks are run by the Federal government and not state governments, so idiots in state legislatures can't pave them over. Of course, the idiots in the Federal legislature could, but that is far less likely because of the need to get legislators from at least half of the states to agree to paving over any particular national park.

[ September 09, 2003, 19:21: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Loser]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
The Confederacy only Lasted as long as it did due to their excellent military leadership compared to the poor leadership of the Union armies up until Grant.

Minor note: The Confederacy not only had superior generals, the men of their military were better suited to war right down to the average grunt. Men from the south had better 'wilderness' and 'survival' skills, more experience with firearms, better morale, and were more resiliant in hardship. Northern solders were unlikely to have ever fired a gun, didn't know anything about conserving food or water, were frequently disheartened conscripts, and generally couldn't find North with a compass on a clear night.

There is something to be said to the effect of the Industirla Revolution, and even the socialogical changes that directly proceded it, on agricultural peoples.

Men and skill may win battles, but economy wins wars.

[ September 09, 2003, 19:36: Message edited by: Loser ]

[rextorres]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/03/09/10.html

A good read about the Last few years.

Good read.

Another reason that Cheney doesn't want the UN involved is that Haliburton et. al. wouldn't get some of that $87 billion dollars that the administration requested.

It's funny how there is no money to deal with issues like the U.S. power grid - but plenty of money to pay Haliburton to fix Iraq's infrastructure.

[rextorres]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Slavery had nothing to do with the construction of the American industrial giant. ALL of the slave states had very poor industrial facilities, as they were primarily agricultural. The colonies/states that became heavy industrial centers made very little use of slavery, and abolished it early on in their statehoods.

I saw an interesting documentary that argues the same point regarding the Roman Empire.

According to the argument the Romans had the potential for an Industrial Revolution - there are technical schematics by Archimedes i.e. for the steam engine - but that Slavery made the development of these technologies uneconomical.

[Fyron]

Wow... think of where the world would be today if the Romans had an industrial revolution!

Archimedes

Didn't Archimedes live centuries before the rise of the Roman Empire? He was Greek.

[ September 09, 2003, 20:19: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[General Woundwort]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Wow... think of where the world would be today if the Romans had an industrial revolution!

Yeah... imagine Genghis Khan with nukes...

[rextorres]

Didn't Archimedes live centuries before the rise of the Roman Empire? He was Greek.

According to a site on the internet he died in 212 BC.

[ September 09, 2003, 20:40: Message edited by: rextorres ]