Has there been a historical civilization better fit for capitalism than the arabian one?
>>602101
Phoenician
>>602101
>Arabian civilization
Heh.
It was definitely a good place for it to be created with it being the middle man to the east
>>602106
>Both Semitic
Interesting.
>>602101
Only one.
The Jewish civilization. A close cousin of the Arabian civilization.
>>602119
Being right in the middle of three continents probably gave them a huge disposition to be good at this stuff.
>>602132
Does a diaspora count as a discrete civilization though? Although I agree with your point.
>>602107
What's your point my man
>>602101
they are. and for most of history the middle east has been the center of trade. It begs the question why there are no major global corporations centered in the middle east.
>inb4 muh oil corporations
1. Built through western technology
2.managed by western businessmen
>>604248
The whole "center of trade" thing hasn't been as relevant after the invention of mechanised marine propulsion.
>>604268
>mechanised
Try good oil canvas
>>604248
Because they got fucked by the new trade routes to the west.
>>604289
Sort of, but steam engines was really what killed the value of silk road for good. After that there was really no competition anymore.
>>604248
> It begs the question why there are no major global corporations centered in the middle east.
>Neglecting to account for the period of european colonization
It has produced about as many corporations as any post colonial civilization.
Are they good at it? No
The country is in such a good spot, though.
The Chinese still have a thriving market scene. You can buy all sorts of weird shit there.
>>602101
doesnt capitalism require lines of credit
>>607210
Interest is forbidden, not credit.
>>607177
But Shekel is just the word for their currency. Any association with that word must have arisen only after they came up with it. At the time it would just have been an arbitrary word.
That's like saying
>Breaking news: the nation which came up with the Nazi symbol committed a genocide
>>602101
The Netherlands
>>607210
"Capitalism" is a vague and meaningless word that ranges from "international conspiracy" to "[any number of not picky economic descriptions]" depending on what group you ask.
A better question is "which civilization had the coolest merchant culture".
In which case I nominate the Venetians as a contender.
>>607238
you don't give out loans without charging interest. Western Capitalism was built off loans.
>>602101
>that pipe on the far left
>>604248
>Inb4 Oil Corpationa
They weren't shit until after OPEC and by then they were nationalized
>>602101
Anglo obviously.
>>607268
>"Capitalism" is a vague and meaningless word
EDGE
D
G
E
>>604248
Because European corporations and colonization crippled the Muslim merchant classes turning them into career bureaucrats, and the Arab aristocracy had become tribal chiefs making money from tributes and bribes from their subordinate clans or tax farmers rather than owning and developing local industry usually owned by independent craftsmen or guilds.
>>607451
Medieval Islamic merchants got around usury prohibitions by trading bills of exchange, just as the Italian merchants after them.
