[RightWhale]

The important Muslims were too busy swaggering about to do anything useful.

Hasn't it always been so? Scientists and philosophers stay in their cloisters and leave management of the empire to swaggerers?

[RonF]

Hasn't it always been so? Scientists and philosophers stay in their cloisters and leave management of the empire to swaggerers?

That stopped here in the U.S. once the first atomic bomb was dropped.

[Cicero]

Well, just so. Politicians don't do science. But at least until recently, European and American political systems encouraged science among their citizens, through support of education and support of a free market that enabled technical entrepreneurship. I would differentiate that from conquering a bunch of smart people but doing little or nothing to encourage your own citizens to be innovative in the sciences.