User Comments - xiaophil

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Sorry, I don't know if this makes things better, but what I mean is that the part of Rome that most people focus on is the beginning part of the Roman Empire and the rapid expansion that happened shortly after (shortly after being a relative term in this instance). This is a fun part, and I kind of thought you were talking about this part. I didn't mean to imply you got your sources just from movies.

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

I think the Rome you are referring to is the Rome that movies and legends are made of—the time of expansion. Areas conquered never looked the same again after the Romans got done with them, but then again, somehow life has to move on. Rome was brutal, but it wasn’t so brutal that it slaughtered and enslaved absolutely everyone (at least not every time). If that were true, there would be no Jews today, and the Greeks wouldn’t have had the opportunity to eventually culturally take over the eastern half of the empire. Romans typically didn’t seek to export Roman culture. They just looked for glory and riches. Therefore, if a culture posed no threat against the Roman elite, it was generally left alone, or at least allowed to survive. It is nevertheless a fact that the Eastern Roman Empire was more culturally and linguistically homogenous than the Western one. This is one reason some people believe Eastern Rome could survive for so long with so many hostile neighbors on all borders. Whatever the case, as you say, I'm sure the diversity of Rome and the diversity of America are of not the same form. I don't know if that matters that much, though. Diversity is diversity.

This is rushed together. Hope it makes sense to others other than me. At any rate, my main point was: even diverse places have trends we can talk about. We make general statements about Rome, even though it was a diverse place (if you see it my way). We make general statements about Western civilization, even though it is a diverse place. We do the same for France, Australia, America, Russia, even though they are diverse places. Making generalizations are okay if they are true in many cases and we can remind ourselves that the truth isn’t so black and white.

I was agreeing with your use of generally applying the "Western" label. Ironic that you are calling me out a bit. But you and I both like irony :-)

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Really? Hmmm... I think that one huge reason Western Rome fell much before Eastern Rome is because of the diversity. Back then they just didn't have the technology, especially in ways of communication, to hold together an empire that was so diverse and vast. Eastern Rome, on the other hand, was mostly Greek, and this helped compensate the limitations of the time. I cannot believe I am saying this on Chinesepod :-)

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Grand Rapids Michigan is about 2% Asian, so yes, we only get chopsticks if we ask for them, unless it is takeout. Then we get the mandatory disposable kind, which I suspect are chucked aside by the typical Grand Rapidian.

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

The West has a long history of being very diverse. This isn't to say that other places, say China, aren't diverse. But it seems to me that the West is a very fragmented place, e.g. France, Germany, Australia, America, etc. In the times of Western Rome it would have been Iberia, Gaul, Egypt, etc. Back to modern days... But even though there are many distinct places in the West, there are still some generalizations that can be made amongst them that ring mostly true. I'm basically saying it is okay to make generalizations about the West in some cases, even though they might not always be true for everywhere.

In the same way, people often tell me how shocked to see how different America's regions are when they visit. This is true. But when I meet an American from a significantly different place than my hometown, I still feel that American connection. So I feel it is okay to make generalizations about Americans in some cases.

But of course not in all cases.

Don't know if my post does any good. Happy New Year's Eve!

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Here is one possible thing that is not fun in China: Skype is technically illegal now. At least it is according to this article. I hope it doesn't really get blocked.

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Haha, you caught me. Somehow never thought that through. Greece is a glaring problem. I like things ancient, so perhaps some layer back there didn't want to dig too deep. Anyway, it still seems to me that actual geographic position still has something to do with it. Japan has a democracy, which is Western in ideology. But somehow I don't think they are part of the West, which I hope isn't taken as shutting them out of some sort of club. They are in the club, if you know what I mean. They just have their own geographic location, and I suspect culture and history somehow should not be left out of the calculus. Anyway...

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

Haha, I really miss Americanized Chinese food. I look forward to going to a Chinese restaurant in my hometown, eating vegetable lo mein, and then chatting with the waiters in Mandarin (hopefully they can speak it and not Catonese). I did this last time I went home, about three and a half years ago, and it was fun. Too bad my Chinese was way worse then.

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

The way I look at it, Westerners come from places that can trace their history to Western Rome. This is why Russia is not Western. It traces its history to Eastern Rome. And of course Japan and South Korea would not be Western as Rome had little impact on them, although they are certainly heavily influenced by Western nations today. Perhaps I'm wrong to look at it this way--I figure most people don't look so far back into history to make a distinction, and as a matter fact the term probably came into use after World War II. Anyway...

It seems to me Western Rome was probably the most diverse power in its time. It seems to me Western nations still are (although they probably weren't in the Middle-Ages; that would have been the Ottomans). My point is, you are right that it is hard to nail down beliefs in such a diverse place as the Western world. But then again, there are nevertheless trends. And actually is it helpful to not point out trends just because they aren't 100% applicable?

I just scanned the conversation. I hope this really has something to do with what was said above.

Posted on: Skincare: Moisturizing Cream

You definitely helped. Thanks!