Falcon wrote:Keep in mind that that the 1800's were extremely difficult times for Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, if we put Victorian Britain aside. The poverty we see today simply does not compare to the huge famines back then where millions upon millions would die of hunger and war.
In 100 years, China had drastically improved from total chaos to a very functional country where mass starvation and catastrophic revolts don't happen regularly. Qing Dynasty China was a complete disaster, with millions of people starving while rebellions raged on constantly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Re ... Death_toll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_C ... E2%80%9379
Meanwhile, King Leopold turned the Belgian Congo into a living hell as millions of Congolese perished under his rule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Free ... n_disaster
Citing Congo as an example is disingenuous. Vast areas of the world were at peace for most of the nineteenth century.
I don't know much about nineteenth century China except that it was a mess, as you point out. But on the other hand, how many children could a peasant have in those days, versus today in the PRC? More x-boxes today, more children back then.
And its not just the Commies at fault. Chinese birthrates in Singapore also suck. All that wealth on paper - all that wonderful air/con too. Yet not so much humping, very few babies, not a lot of family love.
Let me comment on the case of my own ancestors. In the 1800's, Armenians lived under vicious Turkish rule. Oppressive taxes were collected with absolutely no benefit to the population. Yet somehow, those same Armenians had functioning society, and large families, and stable marriages, and children raised to be Christians, not promiscuous, childless atheists. Armenian families and Armenian culture were arguably in better shape that Glendale in 2013.
If not for the Genocide, many of us would still have chosen to remain there, in our own land, even under the Turks.
If that's hard to understand, look at Sicilians. Lots came to America, to escape poverty, feudalism, etc. But lots of them STAYED IN SICILY, even when there were no barriers to coming to America. Obviously the decision to come to America, and enter the economic "fast lane" was NOT a slam-dunk for everyone.
That's the point.