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Styrbiorn
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Topic: America's Contributions To Society Posted: 14-Nov-2006 at 14:30 |
Originally posted by pinguin
(3) Modern democratic system.
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Nope.
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padem
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Posted: 14-Nov-2006 at 16:18 |
Originally posted by Styrbiorn
Originally posted by pinguin
(3) Modern democratic system.
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Nope. |
Well, the modern presidential democratic system in any case...
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Hellios
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Posted: 14-Nov-2006 at 18:53 |
- Medical & other scientific/technological breakthroughs.
- International aid (development assistance to poor nations).
- Modern art, architecture, music.
- Dropping the bomb, terrorism & unwarranted foreign intervention.
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Posted: 14-Nov-2006 at 19:02 |
Modern Art was developed in Europe. It all started with Picasso. Architecture, I believe was shared. I agree with music.
Pinguin
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Consular
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 01:20 |
Originally posted by Constantine XI
Originally posted by Consular
If for some odd reason the
United States ceased to be, What major contributions to society has it
made and which one would you deem most important?? please list as many
as you can from space travel to medicine to engineering to anything.. ,
thanks. |
I think that being able to travel to space is something we should give
Russian civilisation credit for more than American. They were the first
nation to breach the confines of earth's atmosphere, afterall.
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My mistake for not being clear. I meant the whole ' walking on the moon ' thing. Sorry.
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"In the eyes of the Cosmos, you are nothing. Tiny men going about your tiny days, believing you mean something. YOU ARE NOTHING." - ???
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Consular
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 01:23 |
Originally posted by gcle2003
Jazzis a positive contribution. |
Yes I agree totally. I posted that after reading what I thought to be the latest answer from someone but when i finished posting it showed your response there. I guess it was fresh off the press, Sorry for the misunderstanding.
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"In the eyes of the Cosmos, you are nothing. Tiny men going about your tiny days, believing you mean something. YOU ARE NOTHING." - ???
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Cryptic
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 14:49 |
Originally posted by Styrbiorn
Lots and lots and lots of technological gains. |
And not just technological ability, but the ability to apply the technology to mass production. This is in direct contrast to the Mayans and Chinese whose technological innovations remained an academic interest and were never applied to daily life.
The art of mass production of hi technology goods was first developed and refined in the United States. This led to the widespread use of the car, electrification, air travel for the masses and consumer goods fopr the entire nation.
Probably the most stunning example of this ability was the production of tens of thousands of hi quality aircraft and thousands of very capable naval vessels during WWII.
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Dan Carkner
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 15:23 |
This is in direct contrast to the Mayans and Chinese whose
technological innovations remained an academic interest and were never
applied to daily life.
That's interesting.. but in some ways we do that too in North America, there are many things that are known to be possible but we still do things in the way we're used to doing them, with some changes here and there.
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Consular
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 17:45 |
I was watching a documentary on the anti-war movement in the 60's and it stated that Woodstock somehow was of great significance. Your opinion? Was it a political statement or just a huge music festival and a chance to get stoned?? Also, Was woodstock big outside the U.S? Or is it just another way they pat themselves on the back?
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"In the eyes of the Cosmos, you are nothing. Tiny men going about your tiny days, believing you mean something. YOU ARE NOTHING." - ???
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 19:47 |
Originally posted by Cryptic
...And not just technological ability, but the ability to apply the technology to mass production. This is in direct contrast to the Mayans and Chinese whose technological innovations remained an academic interest and were never applied to daily life.
... |
You have some degree of truth. However, you should add Greeks, Egyptians and many other fellows, to the list of technological innovations for "academic interest". The steam turbine was invented by the Greeks but was used only for fun, like many clockworks of the middle ages.But still today there are things done for academic interest only. It takes times to get them into practise.
On the other side, many inventions of the Chinese were quite practical, including magnetic compasses, paper and gunpowder! And also the Mayans have rubber! Could you imagine modern world without rubber wheels? withouth syringes or snow rackets? all inventions of the Native Americans.
And I agree, Americans are practically oriented people, like Chineses and Ancient Romans.
Pinguin
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arch.buff
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Posted: 15-Nov-2006 at 19:49 |
Why the skyscraper of course!!
Thank you Chicago and New York for your rivalrous fued to reach for the sky!!
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gcle2003
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 06:45 |
Originally posted by Aelfgifu
The lightbulb was invented by a Dutch company, Philips.
GCLE, what about the blues? |
That too. It depends a bit whether you think of the blues as a sub-genre of jazz ('city' Blues), or as one of the predecessors of jazz ('country' blues').
Anyway, I'd go along with 'jazz and blues'.
The point really is that they arise from a fusion of several cultures which only happened in America, and probably would never have happened anywhere else. Even slavery had its part in the development.
It isn't like, say, the transistor, which would have been developed in some other lab if Shockley and co hadn't done it.
Edited by gcle2003 - 16-Nov-2006 at 06:48
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Styrbiorn
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 06:47 |
Originally posted by pinguin
Could you imagine modern world without rubber wheels? withouth syringes or snow rackets? all inventions of the Native Americans.
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Que? The syringe is an Arab invention, and snow shoes have been used for more than 6000 years (not known who first used it). And rubber wheels? Just because they started extracting rubber first doesn't mean the derived inventions are theirs as well. But yes, rubber is essential, I agree on that.
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 07:53 |
Originally posted by Styrbiorn
Que? The syringe is an Arab invention, and snow shoes have been used for more than 6000 years (not known who first used it). And rubber wheels? Just because they started extracting rubber first doesn't mean the derived inventions are theirs as well. But yes, rubber is essential, I agree on that. |
The syringe and thousand of other inventions were invented in the Americas as well. Some of those parallel inventions are the apartment buildings, inflatable boats, hunging bridges, paper, number zero, pneumatic toys, convex mirror for lighting fires, and a thousand more. Some were discovered only in the Americas (as far as I know), like platinum, the rubber balls, the waterproof raincoat, the snow racket shoe, the syringe and the rubber enemas.
And do you believe that Amerindians were not able to discover the applications of rubber? They discovered vulcanization BEFORE Goodyear, and many of the practical things that were attributed to European inventors.
That robbing of the Indian knowledge still goes on with the pharmaceutical industries and the pattents of Amazonian medicines! Believe me because is true.
I don't know when THE AMERICAS are going to be DISCOVERED! At last.
Pinguin
Edited by pinguin - 16-Nov-2006 at 08:06
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Aelfgifu
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:25 |
Yes the Arabs invented anything at all, they in fact invented quite a lot, and your remark about them is really insulting. They did invent the syringe, and the number zero. They also invented anasthetics and brain-surgery.
Not everything comes out of the Americas you know. Don't overdo your native pride.
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Seko
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:34 |
Pinguin, your over glorification of South American culture is marginally tolerable as best. Denigrating another ethnicity to elevate your own is not. Though yesteryears' Arab culture may have had more scientific discoveries than today's, that still doesn't give you free reign to act ignorant.
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Giannis
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:35 |
The American Dream!
Thousands and thousands of people flooded America, from all over the world, with a dream of a better living.
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Give me a place to stand and I will move the world.
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:38 |
Originally posted by Aelfgifu
Yes the Arabs invented anything at all, they in fact invented quite a lot, and your remark about them is really insulting. They did invent the syringe, and the number zero. They also invented anasthetics and brain-surgery.
Not everything comes out of the Americas you know. Don't overdo your native pride. |
Hey Hey clam down! OK?
As a Latino, I do have Arab ancestors too.
Now. Arabs invented many things but NOT the one you have mentioned there. In the old world they didn't invent the Number Zero because that comes from India, together with the Chess and the numerals. Anasthetics was known by the Romans and brain surgery as well (Brain surgery was known in the Americas, too ). I will find out about the syringe invented by the Arabs but I think you are wrong.
Arabs invented many things, like the cauterization technic in medicine. They invented the windmill. They developed alcohol and many other chemicals. They also developed algebra and astronomy to new heights. And theirs contributions during the middle ages are outstanding. Their main Arabic centers in Europe were located in Spain and sicily. So I know a little bit about them
And indeed, not all came from the Americas, but believing the Americas produced nothing in pre-contact times is just ignorancy.
Pinguin
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:43 |
Originally posted by Seko
Pinguin, your over glorification of South American culture is marginally tolerable as best. Denigrating another ethnicity to elevate your own is not. Though yesteryears' Arab culture may have had more scientific discoveries than today's, that still doesn't give you free reign to act ignorant. |
Could you read my post above? I admire Arabs, too. I am Latin American and those Arab fellows are part of our heritage, too
By the way, isn't disgusting that some people glorify a culture to elevate others? That's what Amerindians have suffered during five centuries, indeed! Just remember those mediocre black and white movies about cowboys and indians.
Pinguin
Edited by pinguin - 16-Nov-2006 at 08:44
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Seko
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Posted: 16-Nov-2006 at 08:47 |
Cut your attempt at rationalization out. You read what I said. Post with my suggestions in mind next time.
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