The Northern Hemisphere hegemony dominates the Earth with industrial production, healthier lifestyles, and relatively stable governments. Lately I have been wondering why the majority of the Northern Hemisphere is better off than the Southern Hemisphere (on the large scale).
Geography and climate might play a factor in the hemispherical dominance. Some populated locations below the equator belt tend to have hot tropical environments that fluctuate between a rainy and dry seasons. The seasons and hot climate may create a calm relax attitude or values towards lifestyle that requires just basic way of life. In the Northern Hemisphere groups of people were forced to hunt for clothing that would protect them from the harshness of the general climate. They also had to face regular seasonal changes forcing them to be on the edge of adaption which requires keen intelligence, creativity, and physic. It was probably necessary for the people in the Northern Hemisphere, like in Europe, Asia, and Asian Minor, to evolve much faster into much larger groups because resources were scarcer( because of the seasonal changes), and it would be wiser to live in large groups or communities. The larger groups like in the Indus valley, Huang valley, Nile valley, and the Fertile Crescent areas probably evolved faster in technology because they were surround by a large population which probably brought out more ideas and more ways to live life in leisure than in the Southern Hemisphere.
Another factor may be colonization. When the new World was discovered the Spanish didn’t intend to colonize, but to convert and exploit the natives. The Spanish forcibly tried to assimilate the natives into European culture and values. The Spanish takeover led to a series of conflicts, civil wars, slavery, and revolutions. The same is true for the continent of Africa. The European countries didn’t want to live in the area, but profit from the area. They wanted to use the land for markets. It is empirically shown that treating people’s belief and way of life will disrespect does not led to progressivism, but contempt, a hunger for revenge, and hopelessness. Even in the United States the Native Americans were and are screwed, confined to reservations with little power in the government, and are among the poorest groups in the United States.
Colonization in the Southern Hemisphere led to a degrading of their values, cultures, and customs and ultimately gave the Southern Hemisphere Pandora’s Box without hope.
Combined with geography, climate, and colonization, the Southern Hemisphere is behind in technology, medicine, and replete with corrupt governments in a Northern Hemisphere hegemony.
Its just a conjecture. I welcome in other factors or theories.
It's interesting that you depart from the idea that we live in a Western dominated world and move to expand the identity of the world's power base to the entire northern hemisphere.
I think that it is true that geographic and environmental factors may put many nations in the southern hemisphere at a disadvantage. But on the other hand, southern countries are among the richest areas in the world, in terms of raw resources: beef from South America, gold and gems from southern Africa, and rubber and oil from central Africa.
I think the problem lies in the fact that for the past several millennia, there has been a race between peoples living in Europe and the rest of the world. Due to a combination of superior skills (that does not mean superior culture or intellect), geographical advantages, and sheer luck, Europeans began to take the lead in the race for global dominance, becoming industrialized and experiencing a scientific revolution. The advantage to becoming industrialized first is that you can prevent other countries from catching up- which is exactly what European imperialists did (look at how they destroyed, economically and politically, countries like China, India, Egypt, and so on).
This all started probably about three hundred years ago, but Europe, and now the West in general, is still enjoying the benefits of their head start on modernity. This means that despite the fact that the southern hemisphere is mineral rich and has great economic potential, they essentially missed the development boat. As a result, their current mineral wealth has to be exploited by others who have the means- Westerners, and even just northerners, as you've pointed out. In other words, the south is rich, but they've been relegated to merely supplying raw materials, while the north has the industrial capacity to refine those raw materials into useful products- and refinement is what gives anything its value.
Good blog, and good history final practice.
H
Wouldn't you say that most Europeans and their descendants mainly live in the northern hemisphere? They keep their money close and use it to better there own communities. I wonder what can be done to promote a more global, social, view of the world. I dont like the idea of a hierarchy period, though i know its very popular in the world. I know i may come off as "we are the world", but whats wrong with that? DAYUM U CAPITALISM AND ELITISM!!! GRRRR!!
I don't agree that Europeans and their descendants "mostly" live in the northern hemisphere. The most populated countries in the north are Asian countries, like China, whose economies are taking off right now. Also, the vast majority of South Americans are "Latino," meaning they are descended from the "Latin" areas of Europe, like Spain and Portugal. And yet, many South American countries are very poor. All the same, I think historical European power over the rest of the world probably is responsible for the "northern hegemony."