Arab power

by **bbadwolf** » Mon 30 Jan 2006, 04:51:17

This is crazy!

There are no appreciable differences between the intelligences of Arabs and Whites. However, there are very big differences between what we have had to work with! As Diamond pointed out, we have had a lot of historical luck with the right climate and very fortunate crops and easily domesticated animals.

What has not been noted here is that the Arabs live in lands devoid of most natural resources. Countries like the US "had" oil and gas, continue to have huge amounts of farmland, water, forests, metals and other things. That's what puts us so far ahead, we have a variety of resources in abundance. The Arabs generally have oil (still) but little else. No good plants or animals like we do and nowhere to grow them.

Had the Arabs had the good fortune to live in our lands and we in their, the tables would be completely reversed.

That said, the Arabs will suffer an even worse fate than the Whites. When we stop bleeding them dry of their oil, they will have nothing else to sell to get money for imports and will have to go back to the old ways, which will simply not support anything like their current populations.

I feel very sorry for any country that only has oil as they will never develop any real wealth. In the new very localized world, you will have whatever is nearby and not more. Oil won't help if you can't manufacture the means to put it to use. The Arabs manufacture nothing because they have nothing to manufacture it with. They have been riding on our resources just as we have been theirs. Globalism is nearly dead and so is the middle class, pretty much everywhere.

-bbad

by **Doly** » Mon 30 Jan 2006, 08:16:44

bbadwolf wrote:I feel very sorry for any country that only has oil as they will never develop any real wealth.

The Middle East also has more sunlight than anywhere else, and good deserts where to exploit it. If anybody is going to get hydrogen from photovoltaic solar power in any grand scale, it's going to be them.

by **TommyJefferson** » Mon 30 Jan 2006, 13:41:11

I notice a trend. People often say "IQ doesn't matter", "studies show no difference in IQ", or "The Bell Curve is bunk".

Yet when pressed for the names of these "studies" and "research", the best they can provide are lame-arse Kumbaya philosophical tracts by Sociology professors lacking peer-reviewed quantifiable data.

I may wish there were no Peak Oil, but I am not so closed-minded and/or indoctrinated that I ignore research supporting it and reject it on faith.

Go to a motorcycle or knitting forum and describe Peak Oil. Watch as they poo-poo it as utter silliness and paint you an ignorant fool for believing such rubbish. "We'll find a way! Technology will prevail!".

When you guys reject the relationship between IQ and economic success and culture, you sound just like those people.

Do some research on IQ and culture. Be logical.

by **Gigashadow** » Thu 02 Feb 2006, 19:08:26

zoidberg wrote:OMG LOL

Seriously dude, jesus christ.

I suppose Dubya's wealth and power is directly attributable to his vast intelligence and refined reasoning abilities.

Jesus dude, he said in general, not for every single person on the planet in every possible case.

It's like someone saying "Most crows are black", and then you showing up saying "no, I saw a white crow once. See, crows aren't black! I proved you wrong!!"

Are people really this dumb?

by **TheTurtle** » Thu 02 Feb 2006, 22:17:15

Gigashadow wrote:Are people really this dumb?

Yes.
And often even dumber. :cry:

by **Daryl** » Thu 02 Feb 2006, 22:47:53

I don't believe there are innate intelligence differences between races. Civilizational "success" is clearly environmentally based. Having said that, I worry about the Arabs. I think there has too much tribal inbreeding among them and this has caused them to have a generally unstable temperament. I suppose that is a racist statement, but they do seem to have a different nature from other groups. They seem overly excitable and a little too eager to blow themselves up.

by **Tyler_JC** » Thu 02 Feb 2006, 23:18:24

I believe that there might be some connection between IQ and ethnicity. But I think the % difference between the various groups is less than Bell Curve would have you believe. I just refuse to accept that there is a 15 point difference between black and white Americans. I might believe 5 points. But a 15 point difference probably indicates a problem with the sample size. Perhaps they should do the survey again but with a much larger sample size in order to assuage the critics.

Regardless, I don’t consider any group inferior to any other group. Each ethnicity has its genetic advantages and disadvantages. Just as the various breeds of dogs have advantages and disadvantages. African Americans have clearly shown themselves to be masters of the short burst of physical exertion contest (modern sports). Whereas Asian Americans have excelled in the fields of mathematics and engineering, as is indicated by the high percentage of Asians in the top universities in the country.

But back to the real point of this thread…

The Arab nations will have problems controlling their exploding populations in a resource poor world. The current trend is that of oil exporting countries becoming oil importing countries. Indonesia, which used to be a member of OPEC, is now a net importer. Iraq is a net oil products importer. They rely on others to supply their gasoline needs. If more OPEC countries are forced to drop out to do declining domestic production and increased domestic demand…wouldn’t that weaken OPEC?

Rather than ameliorating their situation, peak oil could weaken OPEC. A collapse of the petrodollar would destroy the Arab nations’ investment portfolios and a global recession lowers oil demand. Additionally, Operation Saudi/Iranian/Venezuelan Freedom would certainly crimp the Cartel’s unity.

But here’s the real issue. OPEC is producing flat out and making Big Bucks. Why would they ever want to lower production? There’s no incentive to turn off the spigots when you have such a large profit margin. So as we slide down the cliff, OPEC will continue to pump flat out. This means they essentially cease to exist as an oil production regulating body.

Did the Texas Railroad Commission gain power after American oil production peaked?

by **JoeCoal** » Thu 02 Feb 2006, 23:35:05

TEOZ wrote: Arabs have a strong grip on the IQ stick, very, very close to the small end.

TEOZ, and everyone debating the utterly contrived and meaningless number called IQ, you should avoid arriving unarmed to a battle of wits...

by **kam30en** » Sat 04 Feb 2006, 01:27:13

TommyJefferson
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:41 am Post subject: Re: Arab power
I notice a trend. People often say "IQ doesn't matter", "studies show no difference in IQ", or "The Bell Curve is bunk".

Yet when pressed for the names of these "studies" and "research", the best they can provide are lame-arse Kumbaya philosophical tracts by Sociology professors lacking peer-reviewed quantifiable data.

I may wish there were no Peak Oil, but I am not so closed-minded and/or indoctrinated that I ignore research supporting it and reject it on faith.

Go to a motorcycle or knitting forum and describe Peak Oil. Watch as they poo-poo it as utter silliness and paint you an ignorant fool for believing such rubbish. "We'll find a way! Technology will prevail!".

When you guys reject the relationship between IQ and economic success and culture, you sound just like those people.

Do some research on IQ and culture. Be logical.

Bing bing bing. If we want to deny ideas because they don't fit into our cozy little PC worldview, than we may as well just nuke the planet right now. It is this lack of intelligent thought and supression of ideas that has led us to overbreed, overpollute, and overconsume, destroying the planet in the process.

by **DigitalCubano** » Sat 04 Feb 2006, 04:45:20

Er....before the wheels came off this thread by way of the racist drivel, I was wondering if anyone was about to touch on Dutch Disease? After all, isn't this an issue of increasing importance as the Middle East will be rolling (or roiling) in the dough from here on out?

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