North America vs South America

seoul1950s.jpg


This downtown Soul (Chong-gye river) in 1960. This is what the city looked like during most of its history. In that year, the average income of a Bolivian was 34% higher than that of a South Korean. South Korea ranks 3rd in terms of average IQ.

So either the Koreans suddenly got really really smart during the last 50 years, or there is little correlation between IQ and development, or the entire way me measure IQ and assign national averages is flawed.
 
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Why didn't their "superior IQ" provide them with a rich, prosperous and low crime society in the last 400 years?

I have already stated this multiple times, so I hope reiterating it this last time will be enough for you to finally understand it: IQ is but one factor there are many other factors. IQ tends to be a pretty good predictor of the maximum potential that can be reached. It is not guaranteed said potential will be realized. You will find high-IQ people who are homeless for example. However, you will never find someone with a 75 IQ who is an astrophysicist.

In addition, I have no idea what the IQ was in those regions 400 years ago. IQ is not fixed. It can change over time within a region. For example, China added iodized salt to the diet in order to increase their IQ. Other places may have been drinking led infested waters and thus have lower IQ. Other nutritional factors and early development factors will effect IQ between generations.

Lastly, the importance of IQ in determining a regions success has fluctuated throughout history. 400 years ago IQ was much less influential in determining the success of an individual or a group. Brute strength was much more of a determinant hence why men had far more economic success than women. Only in relatively recent history has high IQ become an important enough factor for both individuals and groups to have a meaningful edge over competitors.

As an aside it seems like you don't really understand historical economic development because you seem to imply that Asia was not a powerhouse 400 years ago. Why do you think Europeans were so desperate to find a better route to Asia? It is because Asia was a global powerhouse. Through almost all recorded human history Asia has been the dominant region and there are many important reasons for that. Most of them, just like in the case of South America, have to do with geography. 400 years ago more than ever geography was the determining factor. However, most recently, the amount of human development is surpassing even the importance of geography.

Though it is no guarantee a high IQ individual or group will perform well in the well-rewarded high-IQ niches that makeup modern society (innovation, engineering, medicine, etc) it is practically a guarantee that someone with an IQ of 85 will not perform well in those areas.
 
I have already stated this multiple times, so I hope reiterating it this last time will be enough for you to finally understand it: IQ is but one factor there are many other factors.
Yes, from your own words: "It is hard to create an advanced society when average IQs are too low." So apparently it is a highly significant factor, or at least it was until I challenged you on it.
Lastly, the importance of IQ in determining a regions success has fluctuated throughout history. 400 years ago IQ was much less influential in determining the success of an individual or a group. Brute strength was much more of a determinant hence why men had far more economic success than women.
Do you have any data to back those claims? I am pretty sure the Romans conquered Europe through better tactics and organization, not brute strength. The Portuguese build their empire around the world through superior technology and political shrewdness, not brute strength.

As an aside it seems like you don't really understand historical economic development because you seem to imply that Asia was not a powerhouse 400 years ago. Why do you think Europeans were so desperate to find a better route to Asia? It is because Asia was a global powerhouse.

The Europeans were desperate to find a SEA ROUTE to Asia because the Ottoman Empire had cut off all land routes and Europe which prevented the commerce of spices. They did not go to Asia because Asia was a "powerhouse" (it wasn't). If anything at the time the far east was fragmented and in chaos. Japan was literally a medieval society in the midst of a never ending civil war, China was decadent and so was the Mughal Empire in India.They went to Asia looking for spices, silk, tea, cotton and opium. That is why the East India company was founded.
Again, it is obvious to me that your entire argument is built on some very flimsy assumptions, cherry picking of historical facts and not backed up by data.
 
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Yes, from your own words: "It is hard to create an advanced society when average IQs are too low." So apparently it is a highly significant factor, or at least it was until I challenged you on it.

Yes, there is no contradiction.South america is not advaned. Utilizing technology developed by others is not what I refer to as advanced, which is probably where our misunderstanding comes from. Advanced is referring to an economy built on engineering and innovation. The creators of said technology are advanced.

Do you have any data to back those claims? I am pretty sure the Romans conquered Europe through better tactics and organization, not brute strength. The Portuguese build their empire around the world through superior technology and political shrewdness, not brute strength.

Did you realize that over 95% percent all work 100+ years ago was physical in nature and oftentimes monotonous? Mostly in agricultural. The ability to perform low-skill, physical tasks is what made a nation and that was brute strength (use of body) more than use of mind.

We are talking about economics and not military, so not even sure why you are talking about armies, but even in the case of armies it is true. The bulk of the roman empire, including the soldiers themselves, but even the much larger bulk which was the farmers that fed those soldiers were based on low-intelligence, high-physical work. That was the base of power of the roman economy. Even today keeping it to the military, since that is what you brought up, we are evolving from mere meat shields into soldiers that need to perform complex tasks operating drones at the soldier level (not just generals), etc.

Of course intelligence is always important, but the ratio of it's importance changed. Today, less than 5% of the US is employed in agriculture (primarily low skilled, monotonous work). Instead, they are being employed in things that require less use of body and more of the mind. Tasks that require abstract thinking, planning, etc that is more associated with higher IQs.

They did not go to Asia because Asia was a "powerhouse" (it wasn't)

Europe was a backwater settlement in comparison to asia throughout most of history. Here is a chart of historical GDP between the regions: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/2012/Jul/china-economy-3.png

Europe wanted a more efficient route to Asia because Asia is where the world was centered at the time. Just like today everyone wants a route into the US. It was the same back then that everyone wanted the best route to Asia.
 
Yes, there is no contradiction.South america is not advaned. Utilizing technology developed by others is not what I refer to as advanced, which is probably where our misunderstanding comes from. Advanced is referring to an economy built on engineering and innovation. The creators of said technology are advanced.



Did you realize that over 95% percent all work 100+ years ago was physical in nature and oftentimes monotonous? Mostly in agricultural. The ability to perform low-skill, physical tasks is what made a nation and that was brute strength (use of body) more than use of mind.

We are talking about economics and not military, so not even sure why you are talking about armies, but even in the case of armies it is true. The bulk of the roman empire, including the soldiers themselves, but even the much larger bulk which was the farmers that fed those soldiers were based on low-intelligence, high-physical work. That was the base of power of the roman economy. Even today keeping it to the military, since that is what you brought up, we are evolving from mere meat shields into soldiers that need to perform complex tasks operating drones at the soldier level (not just generals), etc.

Of course intelligence is always important, but the ratio of it's importance changed. Today, less than 5% of the US is employed in agriculture (primarily low skilled, monotonous work). Instead, they are being employed in things that require less use of body and more of the mind. Tasks that require abstract thinking, planning, etc that is more associated with higher IQs.



Europe was a backwater settlement in comparison to asia throughout most of history. Here is a chart of historical GDP between the regions: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/2012/Jul/china-economy-3.png

Europe wanted a more efficient route to Asia because Asia is where the world was centered at the time. Just like today everyone wants a route into the US. It was the same back then that everyone wanted the best route to Asia.


China will be the leading economy of the world as the secret powers have decided that in this century China will rule the world as the USA has done for the last 100 years and before that Great Britain . There is a lot of changes happening now in power politics from Asia, Europe, Africa , and South America and clearly China has a upper hand in most regions . This is a fact and we will have to accept this .

Australia today is virtually a colony of China . I was very suprised on my last visit there that Sydneys population is now over 25 % Asian . There are complete suburbs that are chinese in all aspects where you hear only mandarin and cantonese . This has changed Sydney irrevocably and made it a very expensive capitalistic city where money is king . There is noting comnunistic in the mind set of chinese people imho and chinese people are the most ambitious people in the world ( Koreans as well but they have a much lower population )
 
China will be the leading economy of the world as the secret powers have decided that in this century China will rule the world as the USA has done for the last 100 years and before that Great Britain .

Maybe you could contact these "secret powers" and ask them to make the Argentina to rule the world? If not in this century, then perhaps in the next one?
 
Maybe you could contact these "secret powers" and ask them to make the Argentina to rule the world? If not in this century, then perhaps in the next one?

Yes I will ask them to contact you and set you up with the Luna Project ( setting up a colony on the moon ) ? This plan is advancing and you should get onboard before its late and the world ceases to exist due to global warming LOL ......
 
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