You do not need political inclusivity to build an empire, especially if none of the other kingdoms you are competing against are democratic. What Islam had over them was a religious devotion to the state. It was the post apocalyptic conditions that allowed Islam to take over. There was a massive power vacuum, and it sucked something horrible out of the Arabian peninsula. Think ISIS, but without Uncle Sam dropping the bombs.

As the index demonstrates, there was remarkably little 'wealth' generated despite the enourmous resources at hand (I don't think wealth is part of the index, but would expect it to look the same). Something must have been working hard to prevent it. Guess what I blame?

freediver wrote on May 2^nd, 2016 at 9:16pm:


But you’ve already mentioned the competition posed by "inclusive" European city states like Venice, a city, Like Rome, that was also the subject of a Shakespearean tradgedy- and this one involving a gen-u-wine Mohammedan, Othello.

Shakespeare posed this competition in uniquely dramatic terms: the cold, precise rationality of the Muselman (Othello) versus the hot-blooded revenge of the Italian (Iago). Guess who wins?

If all it takes is competition from a more "inclusive" political.framework to destroy empires (and I’d like to believe this was true), then.perhaps you could answer this.

Why does a quarter of the world’s population still identify as Muslim?

And before you say inbreeding, look at your map. The largest Muslim.country is the same colour as Australia.

freediver wrote on May 3^rd, 2016 at 5:54pm:


Mosques?

freediver wrote on May 3^rd, 2016 at 8:42pm:


I’m.sold, FD. Which countries can you do this in?

freediver wrote on May 3^rd, 2016 at 10:10pm:


And what if they impose that sinister oppressive democratic institution; erections?

You know, like cute and cuddly Malaysia?  Indonesia? Bangladesh? Turkey?

Or that cunning South Korean/Roman imposter, Iran?

freediver wrote on May 4^th, 2016 at 12:29pm:


But, FD, they have erections. They must be "inclusive", no?

Not me, FD. But you do:

freediver wrote on May 1^st, 2016 at 10:15pm:

I also once tried to engage FD on the details of this so-called "inclusiveness" of the Roman Republic, and how it led to greater prosperity. Like in this thread, he also couldn't elaborate any more than the one word response "elections".