Niall Ferguson's Ted Talk '6 Killer Apps of Prosperity' was very clear and informative. He explained the reasons for the rise of Western civilization and explained why it is coming to an end. I thought he made some very good points, for example his point about competition and how the Europeans endorsed competition in the market and among corporations and this improved their society, while China endorsed conformity by making all applicants for the government take one difficult test. One thing he said that was most interesting to me was that he doesn't think the Western Civilization will fall just because "it is the pattern of history". This is an interesting viewpoint as so many historians have predicted it is inevitable. I thought this talk was also very relevant to this class because everything he discussed we are learning about in class. For example the Ottomans destroying the telescope they had made, it helped his point and it was something we had talked about in class.
Anatomy of Revolution
Step 1- Causes. Revolution is caused when a middle class feels a sense of injustice and is unable to be heard in the government. They begin to form intellectual groups, and often the government itself is weak or disunited.
Step 2- first stage. The first stage brings two groups directly in clear opposition, and the government is unable to effectively put a stop to it.
Step 3- second stage. The moderate revolutionaries and the radical revolutionaires clash. The radicals almost always win because they are disciplined, well-organized, and fanatical.
Step 4- final stage. Eventually the radicals disappear and a new dictator comes back into place. People return to their normal lives.
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