Soren wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 10:42am:


Its a bit of a copout to conclude that therefore individuals living in Bangladesh are inferior human beings and individuals living in Australia are superior human beings. Our ancestors which provided the society we have today had a number of advantages - including settling a  sparsely populated land, and undergoing a cultural genocide of the inhabitants that were here. Its a little rich for someone born in an already prosperous society to grandstand against someone born in an already poverty-stricken society.

Take an individual from Bangladesh and given equal opportunity, I daresay they would be able to create at least as equally successful life for themselves as you could Soren.

polite_gandalf wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 10:54am:

“There is a self-hatred in the West that can be considered only as something pathological. The West attempts in a praiseworthy manner to open itself completely to the comprehension of external values, but it no longer loves itself; it now only sees what is despicable and destructive in its own history, while it is no longer able to perceive what is great and pure there.”

This attitude of self-detestation is both the seed and the fruit of what we have come to call multiculturalism. Benedict does not reject multiculturalism in toto, arguing for its spiritualization, but recognizes that it “is sometimes mostly the abandonment and denial of what is one’s own, a flight from what is one’s own.”

polite_gandalf wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 10:54am:


They can certainly produce an equal amount of stool, if that's what you mean.

Mind you, the old boy believes in quality, not quantity.

Yes, the old boy lies Danish.

double plus good wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 11:35am:


You'd do better to ask why Bangladeshis are so great. Try that aspect.

Developing countries are all crap-holes. I can't think of one that isn't. Once countries reach a certain stage of development, things change. Thailand and Malaysia fit into this category now. Once there's enough funding for services - health, transport, police, local government, things get cleaned up. Society becomes more orderly.

Actually, I can think of a developing country that's not a crap-hole: Vietnam. It's one of the poorest countries in the region, but it has a sense of order. Vietnamese have pride in their traditions and a strong work ethic, but they're not swamped with the population the subcontinent has. Vietnam, of course, is a fiercely nationalist communist state.

Population is the main reason why India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are such crap-holes. China, on the other hand, manages its population through a one-party state. It is much easier to create cities and move people from rural areas into apartment blocks when you have a strong government. It's much easier to impose things like a one-child policy.

Many of Bangladesh's problems stem from the powerlessness of its government, the general rule in all crap-holes. However, the recent rise of liberal democracy in Bangladesh is a big reason for its development. Bangladesh is currently going through a bit of an economic boom, but the money comes from outside. The poorest Bangladeshis see little of this money, but there is an emerging, well-educated middle class.

Bangladesh is a client state of the Western multinational corporations, but it's now entering the orbit of China, who are building most of the roads and power stations. This phenomenon is occurring throughout much of the developing world, including Indonesia and much of Africa. Chinese influence is spreading - not through "soft" means like diplomacy or Western popular culture, or hard means like military alliances and/or threats; but investment.

No country develops on its own. Crap-holes are the result of industrialization, not "culture" or inferior genes. One of the biggest crap-holes of all times is Northern England. It was the standard case study for crap-holes for years. Marx, Engals, Orwell, all went to Britain's industrial north when they wanted to study poverty and the effects of industrialization.

Bangladesh is in this phase now, which is why it's a crap-hole. Bengali culture is another discussion if you want to talk about that.

Bangladesh is apparently immensely rich in "generous, intelligent and well-read people": there are 160 million of them.
Yet they cannot organise 'generous and intelligent' social institutions in their own country. Social institutions cost no money, but require only generosity and intelligence, respect and solidarity. Generous and intelligent people should be able to cooperate, respect and support each other.

Instead, Bangladesh is one of the most corrupt countries.

Enquiring mind wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 2:56pm:



It takes more than a couple of guys blaming Islam. Who then get hacked to death.

Soren wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 3:06pm:


How about people who come out to support those who get hacked to death?

Does that count?

That part of the world is breeding itself into oblivion. How stupid is that??