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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ydars" data-source="post: 4656269" data-attributes="member: 62992">SkyOdin; I have repeatedly stated that I do not write off China and Japan at all during the period under consideration. They were incredibly rich cultures and the remaining fragments of that culture are some of the most valuable traditions left on this earth and are amongst the things I love most. You just don't seem to be listening. You seem to have an emotional connection to this discussion that is perhaps clouding your judgement. I would advise you to emulate The Chinese and Japanese philosphers more and demonstrate your lack of attachment and your balance. My loose use of words has caused some of this misunderstanding (I read back what I wrote in my first post and was annoyed with myself; I did not mean "Cultural Stagnation"; I meant technological stagnation. Since I spend all day weighing words carefully as a scientist, I suppose I can sometimes be forgiven for "letting my hair down" on a message-board, but it still grates on me). My comments about stagnation were informed by the fact that what you or I think about Japan v the West is irrelevant. What matters is the judgement made by the Japanese people at the time, and they altered their technology along western lines. QED; they considered that our ways were "superior" and you will forgive me if I contend that they were in a better position than you or I are to judge that, sitting here with second and third hand accounts of history over a century later. I also know that the Japanese themselves, teach that they became technologically stagnant during this era as one of my recent employees was a Japanese scientist.</blockquote>

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