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
^^^^^^^ CB: Here's "the" point (lol). "Culturalist ideology" shouldn't be dismissed in accounts of economic development. That would be bad-vulgar materialism. Also, The "culturalist ideological" explanation that I give is not the one's he "dismisses"; and it is necessary to the explanatory project he undertakes. It wasn't luck. It was "culturalist ideology" or history that caused the Europeans to do global conquest. Actually , my explanation is historical materialist. You left out my discussion of the rise of capitalism in Europe.
" the culturalist ideology only with a reversed sign: Europeans - bad culture, non-Europeans - good culture, " is roughly speaking accurate, and superior to Diamond's thesis.
Lots of guns were manufactured in Europe not because of luck, but because of its Greco-Roman imperialist cultural ideology retrofitted on capitalist ideology. Lots of guns and steel didn't just randomly pop up in Europe forcing the Europeans to use them to take over much of the rest of the world.
My feet are loose and fancy -free (giggles)