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Let the Buyer Beware Mr. Diamond is clearly someone who is of Western European descent but finds nothing, or very little, to admire in his own heritage. To hear him tell it -- endlessly, I might add -- Western Civilization owes it ascent and dominance purely through nature's circumstance. He discounts religion and culture as drivers in the development of nations. A ridiculous notion, indeed! For example, the Black Plague nearly wiped out Western Europe, but the Europeans rose from this period to begin the Renaissance era: a period of unequalled creativity and increased liberties for the average citizen, leading to the end of serfdom. If Mr. Diamond were predicting the course of the 2-3 centuries following such a cataclysmic event, I have no doubt he would predict the area to fall into great decline. People determine their fate, and the fate of their nation, through their individual actions.