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Thomas Friedman, in "hot flat and crowded" makes an elaborate case linking the price of crude oil to the undemocratic and oppressive nature of (middle eastern)

by maurits 14y ago

Thomas Friedman, in "hot flat and crowded" makes an elaborate case linking the price of crude oil to the undemocratic and oppressive nature of (middle eastern) governments.

Turing_Machine 14y ago
How does he explain the undemocratic and oppressive nature (in general) of middle eastern governments for millennia before oil was even discovered?
- mkhattab 14y ago
  Undemocratic and oppressive nature of mideast governments for millennia? Seriously? :) I'm sensing a prejudicial subtext from your comment and other comments you made, that you think the governments and the people they represent, are incapable of producing prosperous and just societies.
- pvarangot 14y ago
  Millennia? You do realize democracy is a less-than-four-hundreds year old concept? At least in its modern sense, which I would like to think is the one you are referring to when speaking about women rights (i.e. "democracy" that abhors slavery/serfdom... those slave athenian woman definitely had no rights).
  - 001sky 14y ago
    You do realize democracy is a less-than-four-hundreds year old concept? --Wait, WAT? In general, you confuse citizenship with democracy; and more particularly, you confuse a republic, with a democracy (the USA is the former, not the latter). Democracy is an ancient concept. Equally as old and well known are its many "problems", of which the ancients were well versed. The notion of a republic is an (historically) more sophisticated take on a democracy, and is well over two millenia old (Rome, etc).
    - derleth 14y ago
      > you confuse a republic, with a democracy (the USA is the former, not the latter) The USA is a democratic republic.
  - afterburner 14y ago
    Athenian democracy
- g8oz 14y ago
  Um most other places were pretty oppressive too as far back as recorded history goes. Democracy and human rights for all citizens are pretty recent developments.

by maurits 14y ago

Thomas Friedman, in "hot flat and crowded" makes an elaborate case linking the price of crude oil to the undemocratic and oppressive nature of (middle eastern) governments.

Turing_Machine 14y ago

How does he explain the undemocratic and oppressive nature (in general) of middle eastern governments for millennia before oil was even discovered?

mkhattab 14y ago
Undemocratic and oppressive nature of mideast governments for millennia? Seriously? :) I'm sensing a prejudicial subtext from your comment and other comments you made, that you think the governments and the people they represent, are incapable of producing prosperous and just societies.
pvarangot 14y ago
Millennia? You do realize democracy is a less-than-four-hundreds year old concept? At least in its modern sense, which I would like to think is the one you are referring to when speaking about women rights (i.e. "democracy" that abhors slavery/serfdom... those slave athenian woman definitely had no rights).
- 001sky 14y ago
  You do realize democracy is a less-than-four-hundreds year old concept? --Wait, WAT? In general, you confuse citizenship with democracy; and more particularly, you confuse a republic, with a democracy (the USA is the former, not the latter). Democracy is an ancient concept. Equally as old and well known are its many "problems", of which the ancients were well versed. The notion of a republic is an (historically) more sophisticated take on a democracy, and is well over two millenia old (Rome, etc).
  - derleth 14y ago
    > you confuse a republic, with a democracy (the USA is the former, not the latter) The USA is a democratic republic.
- afterburner 14y ago
  Athenian democracy
g8oz 14y ago
Um most other places were pretty oppressive too as far back as recorded history goes. Democracy and human rights for all citizens are pretty recent developments.