I didn't think you where completely talking out of your ass. I put a lot of trust in your words. I just think that patriotism might blind one from time to time. That includes me, obviously.
Can't argue the facts that you put down there. Technologically, we're just a bit behind the US. However, what's important to the Japanese might not be that important to you. Take a Japanese toilet. They have their inventions, they're just slightly... awkward.
I get your point on the populations and Germany, the UK and Japan are pretty big as well for fully 'civilized' countrys. India and China are still, well, rudely said, crapholes. I wouldn't put a country like that in a discussion like this. Their educational system is nowhere close to that of western-Europe and the US, hence, they don't produce a lot of bright minds and what not.
I like the telescope, btw. A little further on though, Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock. Something I'd be more proud of. Slightly unrelated, but just throwing it out there.
"zombieslayer" wrote:
I happen to like Japanese toilets and think our toilets are "uncivilized." Think of it this way. You step on a banana peel and go hand first into a pile of dog manure. Do you?
a) wipe your hand off with a napkin?
b) wash your hands
Of course you'll pick b. Same thing with after going poo poo. You're better off washing, and that's what Japanese toilets do. Same thing with a bidet.
The reason I put China and India in there is China used to lead the world in cool inventions a thousand years ago. Communism killed any ingenuity there. They kill people who don't conform. It's really sad. If you look at the list of Chinese inventions in the past, they may lead the world. They've also been to America long before white people have, with the exception of the Vikings. Yet another reason I'm so anti-communism. There are even arguments that the Italian explorers got their maps from the Chinese, as the Chinese already knew about the "New World."
Indians on the other hand are some of the most arrogant people you'll ever meet. It's one thing to be arrogant if you've actually done something. They haven't. And their culture has been around a thousand years before America was even a country, and they got almost 4 times the people.
I didn't list the pendulum clock because I thought it would be too geek even for me. I think it's a great invention, and was the most accurate clock until we had nuclear clocks (if I'm not mistaken).
"Rockmolder" wrote: