[QatzelOk]

I have studied these materials, and found them to have explanatory power, hence my paraphrasing them (not quoting).

They are also highly regarded scholars by experts in their field.

Wallerstein in particular is one of the greatest social scientists of the past 50 years.

It is worth taking such people seriously, when dealing with academic topics.

Once again, you brag about the "explanatory power" of texts without actually using them to explain anything, except someone else's opinon.

And as for your respect for "credentials," Prez Obama won a peace prize before bombing about 8 countries dead. Awards are just thrown around by people in power, so they don't always prove anything except who has the authority to award medals (money).

Learn to read between the lines, rather then kissing between the cheeks.

[Crantag]

Once again, you brag about the "explanatory power" of texts without actually using them to explain anything, except someone else's opinon.

And as for your respect for "credentials," Prez Obama won a peace prize before bombing about 8 countries dead. Awards are just thrown around by people in power, so they don't always prove anything except who has the authority to award medals (money).

Learn to read between the lines, rather then kissing between the cheeks.

What an utterly absurd analogy.

Okay, you have scorn for academics.

Point taken.

Personally, if I want insight on social sciences I go to social scientists; similar to how if I want advice on law I go to a lawyer.

And I do have adequate background to be able to make my own judgements with respect to the suitability of source material.

There is no such thing as proof in academics.

There are esteemed analyses.

I presented analyses that I find worthwhile.

If you have a problem with it, why don't you critique them directly (you'll need to go to the actual sources first though, and not depend on my paraphrasing).

Until you do that, you can pound sand, as your criticism is not worth the time of day, as it is merely based on ignorance.

Present your own views all you want, but don't berate me for presenting legitimate academic material.

Present your own material if you wish. Or, steer clear of my posts, and write your own opinions in their own context.

I really don't care what you do.

It is ridiculous of you to attack my posts from a standpoint of ignorance, because the scholars I referred to do not present things perfectly conforming to your own world view.

[QatzelOk]

Okay, you have scorn for academics.

Point taken.

...

There is no such thing as proof in academics.

There are esteemed analyses.

I presented analyses that I find worthwhile.

I have no scorn for academics. But I do have a bit of scorn for people who worship celebrities. Why not try to build a bit of esteem for yourself here by expressing your own opinions instead of boring us all with "my daddy says" kind of fawning.

Academics who say "China had a lot of troubles, and now they're pulling up their socks" aren't worth quoting. This is an opinion that you should be able to make yourself without citing somebody else. Your methodology of "referring to someone with enough class to have an opinion" is degrading to the human spirit. You are suggesting that we all become peasants who ask the authorities for our philosophy on everything when you demure to authority on general questions of culture like the subject of this thread.

[Crantag]

I have no scorn for academics. But I do have a bit of scorn for people who worship celebrities. Why not try to build a bit of esteem for yourself here by expressing your own opinions instead of boring us all with "my daddy says" kind of fawning.

Academics who say "China had a lot of troubles, and now they're pulling up their socks" aren't worth quoting. This is an opinion that you should be able to make yourself without citing somebody else. Your methodology of "referring to someone with enough class to have an opinion" is degrading to the human spirit. You are suggesting that we all become peasants who ask the authorities for our philosophy on everything when you demure to authority on general questions of culture like the subject of this thread.

You are reading way too much into this here.

I referred to a couple sources I'm familiar with that were relavent to comments made by other people.

I didn't say they were gospel and questioned some aspects.

You are accusing me of regurgitating the work of others.

That isn't the case.

The references were in context of the comments of people in the thread. Bringing up Wallerstein was specifically in the context of people talking about some of the topics he analyzed.

I have unique perspectives on many things.

These are huge topics.

Wallerstein as an example is in his 80s and has been working on his 5 volume series on world systems theory for probably over 60 years. I mentioned him because he is an academic I studied and whom I respect. Not because of his celebrity, whatsoever. And of course his analysis has faults.

The scorn is strong in you.

[quetzalcoatl]

Learn to read between the lines, rather then kissing between the cheeks.

With all due respect, you haven't earned the credibility, Qatz. If you insist on boxing out of your class, you may want to pack on some intellectual heft.

[QatzelOk]

With all due respect, you haven't earned the credibility, Qatz. If you insist on boxing out of your class, you may want to pack on some intellectual heft.

Once again, you are degrading all of humanity by suggesting that opinions and points of view are "earned" the way that gold bullion is.

All that impresses me on this forum is what people write. Not what empty credentials they throw on the table. And the poster whose aid you have come to, cited an academic's off-the-cuff remark about China... Many undergrads make the mistake of imitating the celebrity-worship that mass media has drummed into their heads. And throwing around NAMES and AWARDS doesn't make up for the lost opportunity that the Internet offers humanity to offer EVERYONE the opportunity to explore the world of texts.

The Western world has become a slag-heap of corruption and the false credentials that are a part of unequal income distribution. If you are contributing to this mindset, you are a cancer to the world of ideas.

[Crantag]

Once again, you are degrading all of humanity by suggesting that opinions and points of view are "earned" the way that gold bullion is.

All that impresses me on this forum is what people write. Not what empty credentials they throw on the table. And the poster whose aid you have come to, cited an academic's off-the-cuff remark about China... Many undergrads make the mistake of imitating the celebrity-worship that mass media has drummed into their heads. And throwing around NAMES and AWARDS doesn't make up for the lost opportunity that the Internet offers humanity to offer EVERYONE the opportunity to explore the world of texts.

The Western world has become a slag-heap of corruption and the false credentials that are a part of unequal income distribution. If you are contributing to this mindset, you are a cancer to the world of ideas.

You are expressing your own biases and seeing controversy where none exists.

[QatzelOk]

You are expressing your own biases and seeing controversy where none exists.

True, but the discussion forum vehicle is ideal for expressing your own ideas and experiences, and problematizing things that we take for granted. It's great that you cited a possible author for posters to check out.

One of the major problems of too many people in the West is how eager they (we) are to imitate celebs and other heroes rather than exploring the common, shared experience of being alive and human.

Explaining why the rest if the world would not like the rich people who bomb and terrorize everyone else and steal their resources... isn't really an academic exercise. It's a philosophical one.

With all due respect, you haven't earned the credibility, Qatz. If you insist on boxing out of your class, you may want to pack on some intellectual heft.

Maybe so, but I've got a signature and much stronger branding.

[Crantag]

Once again, you are degrading all of humanity by suggesting that opinions and points of view are "earned" the way that gold bullion is.

All that impresses me on this forum is what people write. Not what empty credentials they throw on the table. And the poster whose aid you have come to, cited an academic's off-the-cuff remark about China... Many undergrads make the mistake of imitating the celebrity-worship that mass media has drummed into their heads. And throwing around NAMES and AWARDS doesn't make up for the lost opportunity that the Internet offers humanity to offer EVERYONE the opportunity to explore the world of texts.

The Western world has become a slag-heap of corruption and the false credentials that are a part of unequal income distribution. If you are contributing to this mindset, you are a cancer to the world of ideas.

There was nothing off the cuff about the person's remark on China.

I'm not sure if I agree or not, but they compiled a tremendous amount of data to purportedly corroborate the exact point I referenced.

I studied under one of the guys, in a particular institution.

Again, I simply referenced Angus Maddison, because I thought his work was relevant to the discussion.

I tend to study the trees, more so than to study the forest.

I like to consider the big picture as well, but I also find it to be very difficult for anybody to truly pin down.

That is why I might seem fickle about Maddison and Wallerstein, and this topic.

We can have ideas, but it is really difficult to have much certainty, about these kind of topics.

I do tend to think China and Asia is on the rise though.

I have lived in Asia for a number of years, including in China.

Whether or not I think that is good is not important, but it is what I think is happening.

Here is one relevant chart, from Maddison, to illustrate his analysis. (He was mostly a statistician/economist.)

Again, this is just one source. I don't care about credentials. I am humble enough to say that these topics are very complex, and quite difficult (impossible) to verify.

[QatzelOk]

Thanks for the colorful graph.

It makes your "point" a lot clearer.

[JohnRawls]

Qatz, I think you should accept some kind of information, not just go full 'its all elite propaganda'. The industrialisation of European societies gave us the opportunity to feed the given societies fully with famines happening less and less. Its not all bad you know, there a lot of positive sides to things you deem 'elitist propaganda' or rule of the elite, doesn't matter how you wanna put it.

[Bosnjak]

What most of the World will suck your white dick for 3 Dollars.

Yes the most world hates the West, but they lick their asses, the Iraqis never done this.

[QatzelOk]

What most of the World will suck your white dick for 3 Dollars.

Yes the most world hates the West, but they lick their asses, the Iraqis never done this.

And one way that non-Westerners "suck your dick" is by pretending to believe all the fairy tales that Western media have fed us all.

This allows Westerners to continue to believe that their "Santa Claus" mythology is respectable.