>From: phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu
>Reply-To: extropians@extropy.com
>To: extropians@extropy.com
>Subject: Re: More Green Party
>Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 21:07:26 -0700
>
>Damien Broderick <d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au> wrote:
>
> > Controlled use of non-human animals - Africa?
> > Controlled use of crops - Africa?
>
>Middle East and China, according to Jared Diamond. With the Middle East
>being
>the main relevant one for us.
>
> > Controlled use of water supply - northern Africa? New Guinea?
>
>_New Guinea_? What don't I know?
>
>Egypt had regular use of the Nile, I guess, but you had irrigation in
>Mesopotamia. And China. And maybe Egypt, I don't really know for sure...
>
> > Your point?
>
>Well, obviously he meant for us to say things like "light bulb", "car",
>"computer", "airplane", "assembly line"...
Yes, point being, most were invented in nations without economic
restriction. I assume that all of the above answers you gave were also
invented in situations where the inventor had a great amount of freedom, but
I can't verify that for sure. I think if I'd asked for inventions confined
to the 20th century, and you gave answers which were completely honest, at
most 1 of the 5 would be invented in a socialist leaning nation.
I think a nation like Australia or Canada, nations with mixed economies (I
am making an assumption that this describes Astralia, less of an assumption
with Canada) would progress very slowly if not for the innovations of the
US.
There may be a lot of great inventions floating around in Australia, but
without the marketing and corporate aspect, they're not going to find a
place in the everyday life of most people.
Also - in your list you left out the greatest invention of all time,
language.
>
>-xx- Damien X-)
---------------------------------------------------
Zeb Haradon (zebharadon@hotmail.com)
My personal webpage:
http://www.inconnect.com/~zharadon/ubunix
A movie I'm directing:
http://www.elevatormovie.com
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