Holger Dansk wrote:
On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 18:07:31 -0400, Bob LeChevalier
wrote:
Her point is that the Greeks would not have done any of these
things without slavery, which gave them the wealth and free time
to engage in such endeavors.

That's absolutely ridiculous.

It is not only not ridiculous, it's a fact. A culture cannot engage in
significant intellectual or artistic pursuits without surplus food
production (e.g., wealth). Moreover, people's ability to produce am
agricultural surplus is directly tied to their geographical location. Asia,
Europe, and northern Africa are better suited, geographically, to surplus
food production than sub-Saharan Africa. (Aboriginal Australians and many
native Americans faced similar challenges and didn't have cultural
"floruits" as a result.) It's that simple. Asians and Europeans aren't
smarter or better than sub-Saharan Africans--they just live in a better
location, agriculturally speaking.
--
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