For patient readers, two posts in one day. Why not? 

We need to touch on one more religious tradition in this set of essays on world religions and their import for the realist model of human cultural evolution. 

China is the world's most populous nation, and has been for a long time. At least in part, Chinese values have enabled the people to build a huge nation. Geography, accidents of history, and resources figure in the calculation too. But cultural programming is the big determiner of a nation's success. 

"China has a massive population but lacks in technological sophistication and standard of living," you might reply. These claims are misleading and only partly true. The average person in China had a better standard of living than the average person in Europe right into the late nineteenth century. Our much vaunted Western technology did not begin to trickle its benefits down to the masses until nearly 1900. In Victorian times, the squalor in Britain's slums was of a kind that would sicken us. And we must not forget that this technology, childishly handled, made possible the horrors of the twentieth century, beginning with World War I in 1914. 

So what worked in China? In large measure, the values of Confucianism. Confucius and his later interpreters instructed people to care deeply about their character, to set virtues before themselves as standards to be lived up to in every action and word every day. The most prominent of these were what we would call "compassion" and "self-discipline". The result of these virtues being practiced by millions was a hard-working, law-abiding population, which made a productive, stable community, province, and state. 

Let us also not forget that though many Chinese for centuries lived poor, uncreative, unimaginative lives, China also had some amazing innovations. Paper, gunpowder, the compass, silk, tea, porcelain -- all of these, the West was a long time in matching. Or stealing. On the other hand, some of the Chinese, when they first fought Western troops in the 1800's, withdrew into bases that were well-fortified on two sides. Combat had become ritualistic. The enemy was supposed to attack the side that could be defended. In that way, there would be a fair, sporting contest. To attack on the unfortified side was considered in bad taste. Western troops, of course, found such ideas silly. China had been cut off from the rest of the world for too long, I think. 

In addition, women were almost entirely subjugated to men, in Confucian thought, and in the real China, for centuries. The most desirable even had their feet crushed and deformed so that they would walk at a teetering gait that was considered modest and attractive. Poorer women, unfortunately for them in this system, were stuck with "big feet". Ugly. In China, then.   

But in total, I can't help but think, as I watch documentaries on China now, first, of how hard the people can work and, second, how angry they are with the West. Still? Oh, yes. The friendliness, I fear, is, in most of them, about one millimeter thick. And they have reason to be angry. Westerners, especially the British, funded and armed Chinese organized crime leaders, and through the Chinese mafia, pumped opium into the Chinese nation, as they pumped silver and gold out. When the Chinese governments of the times tried to fight back, the were beaten pretty harshly in the Opium Wars and subsequent conflicts. The anger has been passed down through the generations. Yes, they're mad. So would you be if it had been your people. (Think of how many Irish are still mad about the Potato Famine.) And the Chinese are coming on now, my friends. Buying up and exploiting the resources of all other nations -- Africa, South East Asia, Australia, Europe, even the Americas. 1.3 billion. That's a lot of heads to be awakened and fitted with a terrible purpose. 

How many aircraft carriers are they building? How long have they had nuclear weapons? You look it up. But otherwise, have a nice day.