Comment 72034

By Undustrial (registered) - website | Posted December 08, 2011 at 22:06:38 in reply to Comment 72033

Speaking from a slightly broader perspective, this kind of cross-cultural interaction has always been one of the primary drivers of societal change and evolution. I don't know if it would show up in year-to-year correlations based on location and demographics, but where would modern technology, business, music, art or warfare be without it?

In any case, because of the broad disparities in wealth encountered along these lines - whether it's immigrants, indigenous societies or people of colour - this will always be hard to detect on balance sheets. Rap music may have come out of neighbourhoods like Harlem or Compton - but if you looked only at the balance sheets, you'd think it was mostly a suburban phenomena.

As for the two examples given so far, they're probably a better description of prominent national stereotypes than history or economics. China's been trading with other continents for at least a millenium, especially at times of foreign control (Mongol, British etc). Since the Nixon Era, they've been one of America's most important allies and trading partners, having an enormous cultural impact on both nations. Beyond this, within China, there's a lot of ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences. Japan's been even more integrated with the western world since the end of the Second World War and beginning of the American occupation.

Cities are where this happens. Look at Spain before the Inquisition, or the Parisian suburb of Montmartre a century ago. Look at New Orleans or New York or Hong Kong. Look at the rise of modern math, banking or music. None of modern civilization could have risen in a vacuum - and that's been true for thousands of years.

"Today, the notion of progress in a single line without goal or limit seems perhaps the most parochial notion of a very parochial century." — Lewis Mumford

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