[lbo-talk] vaca reading

[Wojtek S]

CB: "Guns, germs and steel didn't cause the differences in societies in
the last 500 years. It was people, Europeans with capitalist ideology.
The guns, germs and steel allowed them to conquer the world.
The author is a biologist , who , not surprisingly devises another
technological determinist, or vulgar materialist, and social darwinist
theory of  capitalism's history and of culture over the 10,000 years."

[WS:] You seem to be missing the point.  The value of Diamond's book
lies in dismissing the culturalist ideology in accounts of economic
development (i.e. beliefs that "superior" values such as hard working,
work ethic, entrepreneurship, leadership, family structure, legal
system etc.).  Diamond counters that by showing that "civilizational
advancement" was, for the most part, luck.  Those who landed on
premium real estate with a lot of usable resources advanced quicker
than those who did not.  It would be hard to find a more powerful
critique of the  culturalist bullshit proposed by assorted
conservatives and idealists.

Yet, your interpretation not only dismisses that critical potential;
but reverts back to the culturalist ideology only with a reversed
sign: Europeans - bad culture, non-Europeans - good culture.  You are
really shooting yourself in the foot.

Wojtek