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Old 10-12-2001, 04:33 PM   #6
Yorick
Very Mad Bird
 

Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Breukelen (over the river from New Amsterdam)
Age: 53
Posts: 9,246
Quote:
Originally posted by Armelle:
Some friend told me once that countries were like people, young ones favouring action first, old ones favouring thinking first. In a society, we need both, as action and knowledge are complementary. A society with only old people would think too much and act too little, and be too wary of change, which leads to inertia, while a society made only of young ones would suffer from lack of the wisdom obtained from years of knowledge.

Our world is that way too, with relatively new countries, like the US or Australia, and old ones like European countries, Japan, ... In a way, maybe that's one reason of misunderstanding, between, for example, old and young countries of 'the western world'.

Looking at things that way, we can see that that distinction applies to the foreign policies of both kinds of countries. European people often think that America is often acting too much, too fast, while we have been remarquable for our tendancy to do nothing many times, our minds turning in circles by fear of the consequences.

Thus, we should not debate about which point of view is the best, but instead work hands in hands and put our respective weaknesses and strengths to build a world that belongs to us all.
Hi Armelle, great first post. Welcome to the board. Glad to see you clawed your way in here without having to look for markers. If more rain fell on the planet like posts of yours fell here we wouldn't have deserts.



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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

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