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Politics : Mainstream Politics and Economics -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: koan who wrote (21171)	7/30/2012 12:24:51 AM
From: gamesmistress	3 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 85487

"After the ancient Greeks, mankind fell back into a world of almost total illiteracy." What do you mean, fell back? Most people in the world, including the Greeks, were illiterate anyway. Literacy was for the elite in most of the world until the last few hundred years. In the democratic Greek city-states, all citizens could participate in the assemblies. Doesn't mean they were literate. Anyway, the Greek concepts enjoyed a renaissance in Europe and its dominions in the late 1700s - early 1800s. Asia and Africa were unaffected. "Dark Ages" Actually, that term seems to be outdated, now replaced by Early, High and Late Middle Ages. And science did not come to a dead halt during this period, to suddenly come to life only in the Renaissance. More practical (watermills and windmills) than theoretical (Pythagoras) but still advancement. And students studied Latin and Greek as well. We know about the Greeks today because the Church in Europe and the Byzantine Empire helped to preserve that knowledge for future generations. "Muslim women" Sadly, yes, but what does that have to do with Europe (at least before the recent Muslim immigration)? Charles Martel held off the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732, Ferdinand and Isabella reconquered Spain from the Muslims in the late 1400's, and the Ottomans were defeated at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. I think it's awful that the most barbaric aspects of Islam with regard to women are becoming more widespread today, and certainly not enough is being done to combat it. "Income inequality" If you remember, I said that I didn't have a problem with income inequality generated by growth of the economy. I also said I didn't want Wall St bailed out with tax money, which is what the federal government did, and is an important part of what Stiglitz writes about: According to Stiglitz it is rent-seeking activity and the rise of what Jamie Galbraith calls the "The Predator State" that is the main cause of the both wealth and income inequality. According to Stiglitz, the main cause of inequality is not globalization, education, or technological change, although they do play part (p. 30), rather the main cause is political manipulation of rules and regulations by American businesses which have entered American politics through lobbying and financing campaigns Bingo. Level that playing field and we'll be a lot better off.