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I mean "ironic" in the sense that the country everyone likes to paint as the most reckless polluter and constant scourge in any and all departments of humanity

I mean "ironic" in the sense that the country everyone likes to paint as the most reckless polluter and constant scourge in any and all departments of humanity is now the leading green proponent. Meanwhile the US, home of the EPA, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and a host of other things that simply don't exist in China, is now mutating into a monster that's looking for ways to use more coal, to blow up more mountains, to slash any and all regulations. > They difference is they'd prefer to conquer economically rather than with military force. This is what Japan did post World War II and for the most part it worked out pretty well. Not a shot fired, and yet culturally and economically they're right up there with every G8 country. Japanese televisions showing Japanese cartoons all across the world. In constrast, Russia, a country that's larger, more populated, and in a unique position to bridge Asia and Europe, is an irrelevant backwater country. Nobody in their right mind would want to own a Russian television or watch Russian shows unless they're Russian in the first place. It's a shame because Russia could have turned into something amazing instead of the place it is today. Sadly the United States seems to be heading in the Russia direction while China is heading in the Japan direction.

chiefalchemist 9y ago
"It's a shame because Russia could have turned into something amazing instead of the place it is today." Today? Yes. But also, what's your measurement for amazing? Based on the current state of the world, and the direction things are trending, I don't see any country that deserves the crown of amazing. What am I missing?
- astrodust 9y ago
  Things have gotten a bit sideways lately, it's true, but if you look at what some European countries are doing to prevent their post-industrial economies from collapsing into chaos, to shield against climate change, to become more self-sufficient in terms of food, it is pretty amazing. What countries like China have done in the last twenty years is also amazing. I'm not saying it's without problems, or that this progress is always worthwhile, but you've got to admit the dramatic transformation from backwater third world country to major industrial power in the span of a single generation is pretty amazing. There's other examples like that, but they're mostly historical, like Iceland clawing its way out of being an impoverished country entirely dependent on scraping out a meagre existence fishing to a vibrant part of Europe both culturally and economically.

chiefalchemist 9y ago

"It's a shame because Russia could have turned into something amazing instead of the place it is today." Today? Yes. But also, what's your measurement for amazing? Based on the current state of the world, and the direction things are trending, I don't see any country that deserves the crown of amazing. What am I missing?

astrodust 9y ago
Things have gotten a bit sideways lately, it's true, but if you look at what some European countries are doing to prevent their post-industrial economies from collapsing into chaos, to shield against climate change, to become more self-sufficient in terms of food, it is pretty amazing. What countries like China have done in the last twenty years is also amazing. I'm not saying it's without problems, or that this progress is always worthwhile, but you've got to admit the dramatic transformation from backwater third world country to major industrial power in the span of a single generation is pretty amazing. There's other examples like that, but they're mostly historical, like Iceland clawing its way out of being an impoverished country entirely dependent on scraping out a meagre existence fishing to a vibrant part of Europe both culturally and economically.