Why are nations where it's colder usually more left?

[HEyHEY]

Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada and many others

What's up with that?

[Paradise]

1. The blood runs thinner and feeds the brain! :) n/t

[shraby]

2. I've also notice that

the closer to the equator, the more backward the country is.

[Warpy]

3. Being stuck inside during cold weather

gives you time to read and think. That's why New England is left of the rest of the country.

It doesn't explain places like Montana and the Dakotas, though, unless libraries are a low priority there.

[HEyHEY]

4. I think the Cold has something to do with it for sure

When winter comes, you best work together to survive

[Tsiyu]

6. Garrison Keilor (sp) talked about this

It takes better brain power to survive cold. Over the generations the dummies have been bred out. And we all know that scientifically speaking, it's been proven that Dems are more intelligent than Repubs. So maybe another ice age might be in order?

[istruthfull]

8. Intelligence

Whole heartily agree with that. Everyone in my neighborhood who is a democrat has higher than average intelligence. Everyone in my neighborhood who is republican aren't to swift.

[uhhuh]

5. Look at your own picture in your sig

The colder climes foster closeness for warmth and community.

They promote a nurturing aspect to humanity, and a desire to work together to survive in a harsher evironment.

Colder climates lend themselves to more cuddly pursuits, hence the more liberal views toward sex and individual contact.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. You mean like Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos,

South Africa, Mozambique, Southern China, Spain?

Be sure to pack your wooly underwear for those cold lefist countries.

[HEyHEY]

9. Umm, look at the differences

Take a good long look at Human Rights, Quality of life, and economy

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Comparing apples and bananas.

All of the nations you listed are Industrialized 1st world countries, mostly due to their ripping off of the 3rd world countries that I listd.

Besides that, your original post was about "cold" countries being more leftist. I would assume that you don't think Canada (which is where I would love to live) is not as far left as Cuba.

But, it is an unfair comparison to guage Human Rights, Quality of life and economy, against 1st world countries. Compare Cuba to Guatamala. Venezuela to Peru. Vietnam to Burma. South Africa to Congo. Then you have a more realistic comparison.

As for the "colder" countries being more advanced, I suggest you read "Guns, Germs, and Steel" to understand how that came to be.

[HEyHEY]

15. Yes, Finland really did rip off so many countries

Seriosuly though, you're the one that brought up those other nations - no me you can do the comparing ;-)

I would argue that Canada is further left than cuba considering our Human rights record compared to theirs.
As well, I meant more socialized, I didn't say advanced

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Tibet? Russia? Bhutan? Nepal? Khazakstan? Afghanistan?

Kyrgizstan? Ukraine? All pretty chilly.

As far as ripping off other countries..I'll give a pass to Finland. How about Great Britain? Germany? France? Belgium? The Netherlands? The USA? Sweden fought it out with the Brits for slave markets in Africa. Denmark got it's hands dirty in the slave trade too. The "North" still continues to rape the "South" for labor and natural resources.

As far as Canada being further left than Cuba, because of it's human rights, how does that follow? The right doesn't have a corner on tyranny. Stalin. Mao. Pol Pot. Robespierre. All leftists.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of all the nations you listed.
But, your hot/cold dichotomy is on pretty thin ice.

[HEyHEY]

21. I consider being left respecting human rights

THough you may differ on that one with me.
But my major point was how these days out of capitalisitc nations, northern ones seem to be more left.

[Blue Wally]

22. Look into...............

"As far as ripping off other countries..I'll give a pass to Finland. How about Great Britain? Germany? France? Belgium? The Netherlands? The USA? Sweden fought it out with the Brits for slave markets in Africa. Denmark got it's hands dirty in the slave trade too."

Hugh Thomas in his 1997 book "The Slave Trade" did a rather exhaustive study of shipping records in European countries. These are rather complete and have bills of lading. Here ares his stats for number of slaving voyages/number of slaves transported by country:

Portugal (incl Brazil): 30,000/4,650,000
Spain (Incl Cuba): 4,000/1,600,000
France (Incl colonies): 4,200/1,250,000
Holland: 2,000/500,000
Britain: 12,000/2,600,000
Brit North Amer (incl USA): 1,500/300,000
Denmark: 250/50,000
Other: 250/50,000

Total: 54,200/11,000,000

Number of African slaves imported by country:

Brazil: 4,000,000
Spanish America: 2,500,000
Brit West Indies: 2,000,000
French West Indies: 1,600,000
Brit North Amer (Incl USA): 500,000
Dutch West Indies: 500,000
Danish West Indies: 28,000
Europe: 200,000 (primarily Portugal, Canary islands, Madeira, and Azores)

Total: 11,328,000

[Blue Wally]

17. I would submit.....

That Finland did not "rip off" the third world. Finland spent a thousnad years being a colony first of Sweden, then of Imperial Russia. Finland probably spent more years as a colony before gaining independence than any other country in the world (especially those constantly crying about how colonialism "handicapped" them).

[stopbush]

11. Most generalities are generally untrue.

WTF?? :)

[oscar111]

12. Less ethnic conflict at edge :so not distracted from rich vs poor

ethnic conflicts pulls energies away from the conflict that leads to LW victory, namely the conflict between rich and poor.

ethnic conflict is a huge distraction.

But at the edge of the continental masses , there is less ethnic collision as they move around.

Mideast is "crossroads of the world", hence tops for ethnic clashes. These crossroads and hence clashes decrease as one goes north to an edge.

Other factors: heat breeds irritability, which leads to chaotic minds, and unclear thought.

We need the orbital sunshade to cool the earth anyhow. But it might just bring more LW governments too. Might. Google CBS and orbital sunshade, for engineers about the idea.

[Gregorian]

13. This is weird- look at the blue states. They're coastal.

Ok, I wasn't going to say a thing. But then this thread was posted. So there's my observation.
Who knows? Could be true, could be bull. But I sure wonder...

[Cheswick2.0]

14. More cultural influence from the rest of the world

We aren't insulated in the "heart land" afraid that some foreigner is going to take our jobs and women folk.

[jdj]

18. If I had to make a guess, if this bears out to have any truth to

it (and I suck at geography so I don't know), I'd say it has absolutely nothing to do with the populations of those places.

I'd guess that countries closer to the equator either a) have more resources such as timber,better farmland, or a good climate for tourism or whatever, leaving them more vulnerable to colonization than other countries

and maybe those closer to the equator are also easier to get to sailing not having to deal with icy conditions at sea (???) meaning they have been more vulnerable to colonization, which is always fascist, and fascism is based on control, and control means aborting change, and change is usually associated with human progress.

Someone may shoot holes in this, but I think it is a major mistake to attribute it to the populations where there are now mostly white folks, whose ancestors were pretty graphic conquerors.

[Blue Wally]

23. You do suck at geography

Europe and North America have (or had) better timber, better farmland, and a more healthy climate. The better farmland allowed them to produce an agricultural surplus which permitted diversion of human resources to other pursuits. Excellent timber and excellent harbors led to development of large, long range sailing craft which were the intruments of world domination.

Your reading assignments:

Jared Diamond, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
William McNeil, "The Rise of the West"
William McNeil, "Plagues and Peoples"
Archibald Lewis, "Nomads and Crusaders"
David Landes, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations"

[southernleftylady]

19. they have sex to keep warm, so they dont need to show their manliness by

blowing up countries.. all along ive been saying that bush needs a monica and all of our problems will be solved ;) lol

[jdj]

20. Her name is condi

but she wants world domination worse than he does.