Yali's Question (Part 1)

 Topics covered today:

1.  The impact of technology on world change. Note that some technologies do not lead to world change. 
2. How did the world achieve the disparity in power we see today?

 The origin of Yali's question and why we feel the White man is superior:


Yali's question revolves around the idea that the White man is more powerful than any other. Of course today, I'm sure there are instances where we frown at people who come across as pro-white even if they aren't White themselves because it seems so shallow. But really, society can't be blamed for the preconceived notion of White Man supremacy because of the way history has been presented to us. Since young, we have learnt that many scientific and technological breakthroughs have been directly, or somehow indirectly linked with White people. Thomas Edison, The Wright Brothers and Alexander Fleming are just some of the many White people who have contributed significantly to the betterment of people's lives with their ground-breaking inventions and technological discoveries. The first atomic bomb was developed by Whites. The first flush toilet was also developed by Whites. Whites have also been known to dominate the artistic world.: Artists like Michaelangelo and Salvador Dali; Poets like Shakespeare and Musicians like Mozart and Paganini. There are so many things today that we have to be thankful to the Whites for and as a result, I think we have every right to feel that the White man is indeed powerful.


On top of that, I believe that we have all reached a point in time where we can go beyond the historical facts. Personally, I feel we have a great respect for Eurasians, not because of their glorious historical background, but because we like the perspectives they bring, the creativity they exude and how they can live their lives with such zest and carefreeness. I'm sure many non-white people who have interacted with white people would agree that they've had a positive experience. While I'm not implying that all white people are great beings, I do believe that on a general level, our experience with them tells us that they are something different and that only serves to support the historical facts of white man supremacy, leading most of us to really subscribe to the above mentioned idea. 


Of course, Yali's question might hold less relevance now given the rise of many Asian countries like Japan and Korea. The face of the world is changing and just as many economists have predicted, China and India may very well soon become the new powerhouses of this era. In fact, the recent downfall of the great american financial institutions and the budget crisis of european nations hold testimony to the fact that the White man is definitely NOT omnipotent. I'm sure Yali would have been very relieved to hear that.