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I don't know about that chart. Saying the United States was equivalant in "standing" to the ottoman empire in 1750 and Russia or Germany in 1800 seems rediculously incorrect to me. Also I see Germany's standing is greater than Russia's for a while AFTER world war II.

Maybe that chart has to do with currencies or some other technical thing but it isn't marked that way. What gives?

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I liked the article, but that graph definitely smells fishy, I don't believe in most modern international statistics (different methodologies, cultures, people doing it have all like of incentives...), historical trend graphs like this are for sure mostly made up.

Lies, dammed lies, and statistics. Give me a PhD title and I'll draw all kinds of beautiful graphs like this one

Yeah, I liked the article. I should have mentioned that. I think I got too focused on the chart. Its just one of those things that is hard to let pass without comment for me I suppose.

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