Asia, here I come (back)

kabayiri

I dislike the notion that the UK is a lost cause.

Anyone who genuinely feels that way should indeed leave, because they are not interested in building our future.

ninky_2

i think there are positives and negatives about all countries. however i do worry that when we get into defining an entire population by its alleged national psyche we are getting into the realms of racism.

my prediction is that at some point in the future (most likely not our lifetimes) there won't be meaningful national borders anymore as they become increasingly unworkable. populations will come to understand that they can't adequately govern / manage themselves without some sort of global government - the banking crisis is a prime example. whilst some things will be organised on the local level other things will be managed on a global level - much like the difference between state and federal government in the united states.

Generali

ninky wrote: »

i think there are positives and negatives about all countries. however i do worry that when we get into defining an entire population by its alleged national psyche we are getting into the realms of racism.

my prediction is that at some point in the future (most likely not our lifetimes) there won't be meaningful national borders anymore as they become increasingly unworkable. populations will come to understand that they can't adequately govern / manage themselves without some sort of global government - the banking crisis is a prime example. whilst some things will be organised on the local level other things will be managed on a global level - much like the difference between state and federal government in the united states.

It's a process that's already happening. The Internet, satellite TV and mobile phones are making the systematic suppression of information extremely hard.

The other technological development that could change things very quickly are unmanned aircraft aka 'drones'. If these become cheap enough, something which is probably inevitable given how the price of pretty much all technologies has fallen over the past 50-100 years, then perhaps almost anyone will be able to stand up to the Government in a meaningful way. A couple of pounds of explosives delivered to within a few feet of your car or office window is enough to put a serious downer on your day! It's pretty hard to govern people in a repressive way if they can get rid of you for a couple of thousand quid and a degree in electronic engineering/avionics.

Loughton_Monkey

ninky wrote: »

....... however i do worry that when we get into defining an entire population by its alleged national psyche we are getting into the realms of racism..

An interesting slant on things.

OK, "alleged national psyche" is one thing. "factual national statistics" is another.

If (as it appears) El Salvadore has significantly more murders, then to discuss, or allude to that is not racism. To meet an El Salvadoran in the pub and call him a 'murderer' is indeed racism.

I see nothing wrong with comparing nations. The Chinese have black hair and a different shaped pair of eyes. To point this national trait out cannot be racism.

Even more interestingly, if your neighbour sits on his couch watching TV all day. Never cuts his grass. Eats loads of junk food, and is double the average body mass index, plus his parents were not married, you can call him a "Lazy Fat B4stard". This is not racism. It is not even slander. It is a matter of this country's 'psyche' that if you substitute the word 'fat', to anything to do with race or colour [for example 'Norwegian'] it suddenly becomes 'racism'.

chewmylegoff

Generali wrote: »

The other technological development that could change things very quickly are unmanned aircraft aka 'drones'. If these become cheap enough, something which is probably inevitable given how the price of pretty much all technologies has fallen over the past 50-100 years, then perhaps almost anyone will be able to stand up to the Government in a meaningful way. A couple of pounds of explosives delivered to within a few feet of your car or office window is enough to put a serious downer on your day! It's pretty hard to govern people in a repressive way if they can get rid of you for a couple of thousand quid and a degree in electronic engineering/avionics.

if unmanned "predator" drones become so cheap and readily available that private citizens can acquire them, along with the necessary weaponary and technical expertise to carry out anti-personnel operations, i should think that governments will, by then, have spent rather a lot of money on anti-drone technology.

the end result would likely be that, just as you thought you were about to destroy the dark lord mandelson, an ill tempered mutant sea bass would terminate your drone (probably using a frickin' laser).

Loughton_Monkey

chewmylegoff wrote: »

if unmanned "predator" drones become so cheap and readily available that private citizens can acquire them, along with the necessary weaponary and technical expertise to carry out anti-personnel operations, i should think that governments will, by then, have spent rather a lot of money on anti-drone technology.

the end result would likely be that, just as you thought you were about to destroy the dark lord mandelson, an ill tempered mutant sea bass would terminate your drone (probably using a frickin' laser).

What do you mean?

I thought we all knew that Mandelson IS a computerised electronic predator drone.

chewmylegoff

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

What do you mean?

I thought we all knew that Mandelson IS a computerised electronic predator drone.

no, no. he's just a tax-cheating vampire.

ninky_2

bendix wrote: »

Very insightful post. There is so much less crime in places like HK compared to here, where the culture of 'I deserve it' forces everyone to think they should have everything now.

.

is it to do with where you are born or IQ though? on average the IQ of chinese / asians tends to be higher than other groups and i think that is the case whether born in china or here. if china was more ethnically mixed would we see the same behaviours? higher IQ in females is linked to lower fertility as well as better assessment of risk, ability to defer gratification etc etc. i realise i am probably getting into dodgy territory here......

ninky_2

chewmylegoff wrote: »

if unmanned "predator" drones become so cheap and readily available that private citizens can acquire them, along with the necessary weaponary and technical expertise to carry out anti-personnel operations, i should think that governments will, by then, have spent rather a lot of money on anti-drone technology.

the end result would likely be that, just as you thought you were about to destroy the dark lord mandelson, an ill tempered mutant sea bass would terminate your drone (probably using a frickin' laser).

plus the technology to reproduce without the y chromosome will mean males become unnecessary meaning the call for unmanned drones will be pretty low imho. instead the world will be governed via mumsnet.

iB1

ninky wrote: »

instead the world will be governed via mumsnet.

Oh my sweet Lord _pale_