Post 2: Unit 2 GUNS, GERMS, and STEEL

The uneven distribution of resources has over many thousands of years effected human equality. From studying Jared Diamond's 'Guns Germs and Steel' ideology I have come to believe that civilization advancement is due to 'geographic luck'. Geographic luck applies to the natural resources of the land a civlization lives on. Some natural resources are domesticatable animals and high calorie, harvestable crops. These animals and crops provide food and tools to advance, furthermore a surplus. During a civilizations surplus, the civilization has the energy and time to form specailized jobs, therefore developing advancements.

A current country struggling to advance is Kenya, Africa. Kenya is severely stricken by HIVS. Due to its energy expended fighting the deases it struggles with, Kenya does not have the time or energy to produce surpluses and advance further. Kenya does however have hope for a clean future with a decrease from 14 percent to 4 percent of infected populants. This means that there has been a 10 percent overall decrease in people infected with HIVS. This decrease could be in affect to volunteer work and support groups giving Kenya the resources it needs to advance, a solution to AIDS.

All of Kenya's struggles can be in fault to British colonizers. Before Europeans arrived in Kenya, Kenya was poorly developed; however, Kenya was not so severely stricken with germs as it is today either. Native Kenyans knew of the dangers of Malaria and the many deadly germs near the still waters of the tropics. Therefore they lived in the high dry lands, where the bugs that carried germs were few. However, after the first European encounters, Britain, the 'owner' of Kenya under the consensus of the conference in Berlin decided to make Kenya a colony. Britain then furthered there conquest by building a railway and exporting Kenyan goods.
The current situation in Kenya can be explained through the impact the Europeans had on it.

I do believe 'geographic luck' exists and global inequalities result from this luck. Take Kenya for example. Kenya was slowed in advancements in inverse to Europe due to its lack of domesticateable animals, horse and lack of high calorie crops. Aside that, Kenya would have advanced with time. However was debilitated by the European colonization and introduction of native germs, domination by European technology such as guns and steel. These debilitators have caused expenses to support groups and natives since then. These expenses range from human life to monitary resources.