A hypothetical social experiment: Blacks V. Whites

[MikeMike]

So, if we take two land masses, each with equal amounts of natural resources, minerals, etc. Each is capable of supporting large human populations, however there is no infrastructure. None. Any humans have to build from scratch. You want food? Learn to farm. Want tools? have to make them yourself. And so on.

If you were to take all Blacks, and place them all on one land mass. All the Whites and place them on the other land mass. Each group gets nothing but the clothes on their backs and the knowledge in their heads. No supplies, no food, no weapons, vehicles, no books, nothing like that.

Assuming no interaction, trade, communication, etc, between the two landmasses, say they're separated between wide expanses of treacherous waters, what happen to each group in 5 years? 10 years? 50 years? 100 years? 500 years? 1000 years?

Discuss.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

 

[ShawnD1]

Blackistan would have better sports teams.

 

[Throckmorton]

Depends on where they're from. I'm betting American whites have more wilderness survival skills than blacks.

 

[Red Dawn]

Depends on where they're from. I'm betting American whites have more wilderness survival skills than blacks.

But they'd suck at urban warfare not to mention a Zombie invasion.

 

[jhu]

I think they'd both lose to the landmass with the massive number of Chinese on it.

 

[animekenji]

So, if we take two land masses, each with equal amounts of natural resources, minerals, etc. Each is capable of supporting large human populations, however there is no infrastructure. None. Any humans have to build from scratch. You want food? Learn to farm. Want tools? have to make them yourself. And so on.

If you were to take all Blacks, and place them all on one land mass. All the Whites and place them on the other land mass. Each group gets nothing but the clothes on their backs and the knowledge in their heads. No supplies, no food, no weapons, vehicles, no books, nothing like that.

Assuming no interaction, trade, communication, etc, between the two landmasses, say they're separated between wide expanses of treacherous waters, what happen to each group in 5 years? 10 years? 50 years? 100 years? 500 years? 1000 years?

Discuss.

Your scenario already happened. Look where the black civilizations in Africa advanced to and where the European civilizations advanced prior to European contact with Africa for your answer, and actually, the blacks had the advantage of having a bigger continent with more resources than the Europeans had and the Europeans still won.

 

[pcgeek11]

Your scenario already happened. Look where the black civilizations in Africa advanced to and where the European civilizations advanced prior to European contact with Africa for your answer, and actually, the blacks had the advantage of having a bigger continent with more resources than the Europeans had and the Europeans still won.

This would in my opinion be the best " Real World " answer.

 

[Red Dawn]

This would in my opinion be the best " Real World " answer.

I don't know about that, the Nile River Civilizations were much more advanced the Europe was for a couple of thousand years.

 

[Infohawk]

Just like the other thread, it depends on which blacks and whites we're talking about. But a continent with the current black American culture would probably be in really bad shape.

 

[animekenji]

Just like the other thread, it depends on which blacks and whites we're talking about. But a continent with the current black American culture would probably be in really bad shape.

Amen to that. I worked in a printing plant once and we had blacks there from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya and the Carribean and they are like a completely different race of people from American and European blacks. I can get along with blacks from other parts of the world. It's only the locally grown variety that I ever have problems with.

 

[Throckmorton]

Your scenario already happened. Look where the black civilizations in Africa advanced to and where the European civilizations advanced prior to European contact with Africa for your answer, and actually, the blacks had the advantage of having a bigger continent with more resources than the Europeans had and the Europeans still won.

No, that's not the same scenario at all.

After tens of thousands of years of being the same technologically, European society advanced rapidly because of the renaissance, then the enlightenment and scientific revolution. It's pure chance that allowed that kind of advancement to happen at that time. It could have easily happened 1000 years later, 1000 years earlier, 10000 years later, or NEVER.

The entire world could still be preindustrial if things had gone slightly differently.

 

[KIAman]

The whites would die off from vitamin D defficiency.

 

[Red Dawn]

Amen to that. I worked in a printing plant once and we had blacks there from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya and the Carribean and they are like a completely different race of people from American and European blacks. I can get along with blacks from other parts of the world. It's only the locally grown variety that I ever have problems with. Fucking uppity Mofo's

 

[animekenji]

Nice little addition you made there. I never said that.

 

[jhu]

Amen to that. I worked in a printing plant once and we had blacks there from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya and the Carribean and they are like a completely different race of people from American and European blacks. I can get along with blacks from other parts of the world. It's only the locally grown variety that I ever have problems with.

Your experience is a little skewed because you interacted with immigrants to your country. As immigrants (legal ones I assume), they do tend to have the intelligence and motivation to jump through the hoops to get to where they are. I'm sure if you asked them about it, they'd tell you about all the idiots present in their native countries too.

 

[pcgeek11]

No, that's not the same scenario at all.

After tens of thousands of years of being the same technologically, European society advanced rapidly because of the renaissance, then the enlightenment and scientific revolution. It's pure chance that allowed that kind of advancement to happen at that time. It could have easily happened 1000 years later, 1000 years earlier, 10000 years later, or NEVER.

The entire world could still be preindustrial if things had gone slightly differently.

You're correct that there is no Real Answer for the question, but the answer given by animekenji was as close as you will ever get to a real answer.

Anyone could " but if this or but if that " this question to death...

 

[werepossum]

No, that's not the same scenario at all.

After tens of thousands of years of being the same technologically, European society advanced rapidly because of the renaissance, then the enlightenment and scientific revolution. It's pure chance that allowed that kind of advancement to happen at that time. It could have easily happened 1000 years later, 1000 years earlier, 10000 years later, or NEVER.

The entire world could still be preindustrial if things had gone slightly differently.

I disagree completely. Progress is an infinite stream of small steps forward; that doesn't happen accidentally. European progress, and most modern things we enjoy, came about because some white guy was scared, lazy or horny. I know if I was born into a tribe that hunted giant snakes by having one guy stick his leg down a snake's borrow, allowing the snake to swallow his leg, and then pulling the snake out by tugging on his arms, and I was informed that it was my turn to be the bait, I would spontaneously invent the shovel, the steam shovel, the bulldozer, steam and internal combustion engines to power the above, and quite possibly nuclear energy, whatever the hell it took to keep my pasty white leg out of the snake burrow. In fact, I suspect that the whole white race came about when a man was told the tribe was going giant snake hunting and it was his turn to be the bait - and he never recovered from the fright.

Honestly I don't think there's that much difference between the races. If these land masses were equatorial, where it was too freaking hot to want to do much and not much energy was required for survival, I think both groups would pretty much veg out. Let's call that one Africa. If on the other hand the land mass sometimes got really cold, so that planning and hard work was essential for survival, I think both groups would progress. Let's call that one Europe. People the world over tend to do what is required to survive and prosper until a tipping point is reached whereby innovations flow so quickly that one can see measurable progress and is then motivated to achieve more and gain a better life. Unless it's just too freakin' hot.

P.S. If you like my diatribe on progress you should see my diatribe on neck ties.

 

[WHAMPOM]

I don't know about that, the Nile River Civilizations were much more advanced the Europe was for a couple of thousand years.

There was much more in Africa then the Nile Civilizations, but what remains when mud is your only building material? And to the OP, over 90% die in the first year.

 

[JSt0rm]

Amen to that. I worked in a printing plant once and we had blacks there from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya and the Carribean and they are like a completely different race of people from American and European blacks. I can get along with blacks from other parts of the world. It's only the locally grown variety that I ever have problems with.

Your experience is a little skewed because you interacted with immigrants to your country. As immigrants (legal ones I assume), they do tend to have the intelligence and motivation to jump through the hoops to get to where they are. I'm sure if you asked them about it, they'd tell you about all the idiots present in their native countries too.

I would also add that since he himself only works mundane jobs with no future he is interacting with blacks that are on the same level as he is and he hates it.

 

[Red Dawn]

Nice little addition you made there. I never said that.

You didn't have too, it was obvious.

 

[WHAMPOM]

I don't know about that, the Nile River Civilizations were much more advanced the Europe was for a couple of thousand years.

There was much more in Africa then the Nile Civilizations, but what remains when mud is your only building material? And to the OP, over 90% die in the first year.

edit;WOW! We got a new feature here or a new glitch? Could be my provider, I've gotten a few hangfires lately.

 

[Red Dawn]

There was much more in Africa then the Nile Civilizations, but what remains when mud is your only building material? And to the OP, over 90% die in the first year.

You can say that again. oops, you did

 

[Throckmorton]

I disagree completely. Progress is an infinite stream of small steps forward; that doesn't happen accidentally. European progress, and most modern things we enjoy, came about because some white guy was scared, lazy or horny. I know if I was born into a tribe that hunted giant snakes by having one guy stick his leg down a snake's borrow, allowing the snake to swallow his leg, and then pulling the snake out by tugging on his arms, and I was informed that it was my turn to be the bait, I would spontaneously invent the shovel, the steam shovel, the bulldozer, steam and internal combustion engines to power the above, and quite possibly nuclear energy, whatever the hell it took to keep my pasty white leg out of the snake burrow. In fact, I suspect that the whole white race came about when a man was told the tribe was going giant snake hunting and it was his turn to be the bait - and he never recovered from the fright.

I highly doubt the Romans would have seen any difference between European barbarians and African barbarians. The difference in advancement is recent, not consistent over the history of these races.

Honestly I don't think there's that much difference between the races. If these land masses were equatorial, where it was too freaking hot to want to do much and not much energy was required for survival, I think both groups would pretty much veg out. Let's call that one Africa. If on the other hand the land mass sometimes got really cold, so that planning and hard work was essential for survival, I think both groups would progress. Let's call that one Europe. People the world over tend to do what is required to survive and prosper until a tipping point is reached whereby innovations flow so quickly that one can see measurable progress and is then motivated to achieve more and gain a better life. Unless it's just too freakin' hot.

P.S. If you like my diatribe on progress you should see my diatribe on neck ties.

That's an outdated anthropological theory to explain the supposed laziness of people in the tropics. It doesn't have any basis in reality.

2000 years ago, the most advanced civilizations were in mild areas-- Persia, the Mediterranean, Egypt, and Eastern Asia. Survival in the tropics and high latitudes is harder than in those places.

 

[woolfe9999]

European progress, and most modern things we enjoy, came about because some white guy was scared, lazy or horny.

Well, that certainly sums up the entire vaunted history of human progress in a nutshell, doesn't it?


- wolf