The classic case is the Aztecs. They were taken out over a few short months in a military engagement from a vastly outnumbered force, not by disease.
On Sat, Jul 8, 2017 at 5:20 AM, Brian Ahern <ahern_br...@msn.com> wrote: > The Spanish had cholera. It was 100 times as effective as gunpowder. > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Kevin O'Malley <kevmol...@gmail.com> > *Sent:* Friday, July 7, 2017 7:04 PM > *To:* vortex-l > *Subject:* Re: [Vo]:Interest in cold fusion has waned > > One of the cool things about cold fusion in a 500 year outlook is that it > makes for a very ineffective weapon. Even fire is a more effective weapon. > > You know why potatoes became a crop of choice in Europe? Because when a > king's army sieged your castle and burned your crops, there were still > potatoes in the ground that you could eat and you wouldn't starve to death. > > > Why did the Spanish overtake a continent with a few thousand men while the > Vikings were vanquished 500 years earlier? Because the Spanish had > FIREarms. They had harnessed gunpowder (for evil purposes, albeit). > > In 500 years there will be LENR cars, widespread cheap desalination, and > Cold Fusion powered spacecraft. > > On Fri, Jul 7, 2017 at 1:18 PM, Jed Rothwell <jedrothw...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> I wrote: >> >> >>> If I succeed at promoting cold fusion and it becomes generally used, I >>> shall play an important role in changing the world more than Marxism and >>> Capitalism combined. >>> >> >> That sounds like hyperbole, but I mean it. I think that Marxism and >> capitalism are both on their way out. As we have discussed here, I think >> robots and intelligent computers will compel us to adapt a new form of >> economy that is neither capitalist or communist. >> >> Capitalism began around the year 1500, gradually replacing feudalism. >> Communism began around 1850. Both are now in their twilight. I expect that >> by 2100 we will have a new economic system. Unlike every previous system it >> will not mainly depend on the exchange of human labor for goods and >> services. It remains to be seen what it will be like. I hope it will be >> better for everyone, and better for the ecology, but you never know how >> things will turn out. >> >> If cold fusion succeeds I expect it will last much longer than 500 years, >> and ultimately it will have a larger impact than capitalism had. If the >> human race survives for millions of years -- as I hope it will -- over the >> next few million years cold fusion should have roughly the same impact as >> the discovery of fire. Unless something better is discovered. >> >> People who have not read history have the notion that institutions such >> as capitalism, nation states, universities, corporations and so on have >> been part of society forever and they will always be with us. Actually, >> they are recent inventions and there is no reason to think they will >> continue centuries into the future. They will continue as long as people >> find them useful. >> >> - Jed >> >> >
