The Past Was Still A Golden Age,

Two Types Of Choices Seem To Me To Have Been Crucial In Tipping The Outcomes [of The Various Societies' Histories] Towards Success Or Failure: Long-term Planning And Willingness To Reconsider Core Values. On Reflection We Can Also Recognize The Crucial Role Of These Same Two Choices For The Outcomes Of Our Individual Lives.

Infectious Diseases Introduced With Europeans, Like Smallpox And Measles, Spread From One Indian Tribe To Another, Far In Advance Of Europeans Themselves, And Killed An Estimated 95% Of The New World's Indian Population.

In Short, Europe’s Colonization Of Africa Had Nothing To Do With Differences Between European And African Peoples Themselves, As White Racists Assume. Rather, It Was Due To Accidents Of Geography And Biogeography—in Particular, To The Continents’ Different Areas, Axes, And Suites Of Wild Plant And Animal Species. That Is, The Different Historical Trajectories Of Africa And Europe Stem Ultimately From Differences In Real Estate.

One Person Making A Wrong Decision Affects The Whole Country.

A Blueprint For Disaster In Any Society Is When The Elite Are Capable Of Insulating Themselves.