An obscene level of "personal comfort"; Pointlessly extended lifespan; The paradox of irrelevant knowledge; Conversion of natural beauty into worthless crap. Civilization apparently leads to nihilism and depraved indifference to all life, including our own.
"Civilization originates in conquest abroad and repression at home." Stanley Diamond
"Civilization is collectivised selfishness." oowolf
PeakOil is You
Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by oowolf » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 17:00:08
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by PenultimateManStanding » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 17:12:00
toilet paper
Turn those Machines back On! - Don Ameche in Trading Places
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by skeptik » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 17:16:05
Novocaine and gummed large size cigarette papers.
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by yeahbut » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 18:13:00
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JeeBoomba', 'O')h, come *on*. Hierarchy has always existed and there have always been people more "equal" than others. This is a natural element of human interaction. Even monkeys have a pecking order and clearly defined hierarchy.
Actually, as I understand it, the degree of hierarchy, and power imbalance, within a society relates directly to the amount of resources available. Writing in 'Guns, Germs and Steel', Jared Diamond uses the Polynesian settlement of the Pacific Islands as an illustration of this phenomenon.
"Social complexity was similarly varied...the Chathams and the atolls[those places being most limited in resources]had the simplest, most egalitarian societies. While those islands retained the Polynesian tradition of having chiefs, their chiefs wore little or no visible signs of distinction,lived in ordinary huts like those of commoners, and grew or caught their food like everyone else. Social distinctions and chiefly powers increased on high-density islands with large political units, being especially marked on Tonga and the Societies[those places being rich in resources]".
So maybe hierarchy, and it's associated injustices, are as much a function of the environment as of innate human nature. Who knows, maybe in the long term, as resource constraints become apparent, hierarchies will become harder to maintain?
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by s0cks » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 18:22:28
Hahaha. Some good responses people 
Thanks!
I still haven't read anything that was above anything other than creature comforts. Wooly socks, fridges, heating, electricity, peanut butter, tv.... these aren't really good at all. Food.. the thousand mile sandwhich, fridges - ozane layer, socks - domesticated docile animals, electricty - just runs the creature comforts.
Don't get me wrong. Now we have all these things and know of all these things we depend on them. We are basically addicted. What I'm asking is was it worth it for what it has caused?
Thanks!
I still haven't read anything that was above anything other than creature comforts. Wooly socks, fridges, heating, electricity, peanut butter, tv.... these aren't really good at all. Food.. the thousand mile sandwhich, fridges - ozane layer, socks - domesticated docile animals, electricty - just runs the creature comforts.
Don't get me wrong. Now we have all these things and know of all these things we depend on them. We are basically addicted. What I'm asking is was it worth it for what it has caused?
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by s0cks » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 18:26:01
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yeahbut', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JeeBoomba', 'O')h, come *on*. Hierarchy has always existed and there have always been people more "equal" than others. This is a natural element of human interaction. Even monkeys have a pecking order and clearly defined hierarchy.
Actually, as I understand it, the degree of hierarchy, and power imbalance, within a society relates directly to the amount of resources available. Writing in 'Guns, Germs and Steel', Jared Diamond uses the Polynesian settlement of the Pacific Islands as an illustration of this phenomenon.
"Social complexity was similarly varied...the Chathams and the atolls[those places being most limited in resources]had the simplest, most egalitarian societies. While those islands retained the Polynesian tradition of having chiefs, their chiefs wore little or no visible signs of distinction,lived in ordinary huts like those of commoners, and grew or caught their food like everyone else. Social distinctions and chiefly powers increased on high-density islands with large political units, being especially marked on Tonga and the Societies[those places being rich in resources]".
So maybe hierarchy, and it's associated injustices, are as much a function of the environment as of innate human nature. Who knows, maybe in the long term, as resource constraints become apparent, hierarchies will become harder to maintain?
As I undertand it Chiefs were just appointed representatives and were usually older and wiser. They recieved no special authority over the rest of the tribe. They didn't tell them waht to do, they suggested what could be done.
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by efarmer » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 18:44:49
All those little things that come together to keep you from
being all the wrong kind of scent in all the right kind of places.
Oh, yeah, and jelly donuts with rasberry jelly and the filler holes
toward you that look like nice and soft,sugar dusted titties.
being all the wrong kind of scent in all the right kind of places.
Oh, yeah, and jelly donuts with rasberry jelly and the filler holes
toward you that look like nice and soft,sugar dusted titties.
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by Pops » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 18:58:44
It occurs to me that civilization exploited oil, which arguably produced most of us posting here.
I am also thinking it is up to each of us oil babies to do the best we can to get past oil.
And especially to quit thinking and talking about such silly constructs as Civilization and Machines.
Should the whole conversation be about what is wrong with what we have done instead of what we might learn?
I am also thinking it is up to each of us oil babies to do the best we can to get past oil.
And especially to quit thinking and talking about such silly constructs as Civilization and Machines.
Should the whole conversation be about what is wrong with what we have done instead of what we might learn?
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Name 1 Good Thing About Civilization
by PenultimateManStanding » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 19:10:45
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('s0cks', '
') What I'm asking is was it worth it for what it has caused?
I don't think that's the point. The point is that we had to do something as our numbers kept growing and the environment kept changing. The days of wandering hunter/gatherers came to an end. That's all.
') What I'm asking is was it worth it for what it has caused?
Turn those Machines back On! - Don Ameche in Trading Places
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