Re: [FT] (LONG) The Balance of Power -- Fighters and a Defense

--- Chen-Song Qin <cqin@ee.ualberta.ca> wrote:

For example, the Xianbei > who founded the
> Northern Wei dynasty in China started the whole
> armored cataphract concept > in China.  The later 
Hrm. . . I presume they weren't able to produce these
until they had both the agricultural base and the
extensive metal-working ability that comes of having
domination over a sedentary people, right?

> Yes, once you get *effective* gunpowder weapons. 
> The Song dynasty Chinese
> gunpowder weapons were not very effective.  They
> were more used as terror
> weapons to scare people with the loud noise, or
> during sieges when larger
> bombs could be used against unmoving targets.

You know that and I know that.	But many people are
too enamored of saying "Well, the Chinese invented
gunpowder weapons!" as a way of refuting the statement
that practically everything of consequence militarily
was invented in Europe.  Oddly enough, most of these
people are of European descent.  It's to the point
that I don't bother arguing it anymore.  It's not
Politically Correct to give Europeans credit for
anything.

John

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