I don't think it is possible to deny that what I suppose we would call the economic base has a significant effect upon individual and social behaviour, but I remain somewhat wary of proceeding too far down this route. At the very least, it seems possible for outdated ideologies to survive long after the material conditions (that may have helped in their creation) have themselves changed and become antagonistic to said ideologies. Of course, it is difficult to debate this empirically - ideology may have played its role in impeding the development of Islamic nations, but it is also a question of chicken and egg i.e. development itself may act as a spur to discaring outdated ideologies.
---- This message was posted by kharin to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26302>
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