[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheDude', '[')url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/27_01_06_psyops.pdf]Information Operations Roadmap[/url].
The 50% decline in oil production we're possibly looking at in the next five years will rather put a damper on something as frivolous as the Internet. Sounds like the kind of chip-driven occupation the Neocons thought would subdue the Iraqis sans bullets and tanks.

[TheDude]

Matrix 'n Mushrooms. Sounds like a good ol' time.

[BlisteredWhippet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'W')hy speculate? Why not learn about anthropolgy?
Conflicts to re-establish territorial boundaries between hunter-gatherer groups shouldn't be equated with "war." As pointed out, war is a feature of civilization.
There are no "resource poor" hunter-gatherers, and their conflicts don't "defy rationality" but are very specific - to maintain territorial boundaries.

[Ferretlover]

North American Emergency Management (NAEM) is one of the priority initiatives set forth in the March 31, 2006, White House news release and the fact sheet posted on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America website.
The function of NAEM would be similar to that of FEMA's operations during Hurricane Katrina. In his September 20, 2005, article "Glimpse Into The Future Of Global Collectivism - FEMA: Katrina," Chris Gupta wrote:

"The primary job of the military, FEMA, and Homeland Security is not to protect the American people in times of emergency but to protect the government in times of emergency and keep it functioning. Their primary assignment is, not to rescue people, but to control them. Their directive is to relocate families and businesses, confiscate property, commandeer goods, direct labor and services, and establish martial law. The reason FEMA and Homeland security failed to carry out an effective rescue operation [for Hurricane Katrina] is that this was not their primary mission, and the reason they blocked others from doing so is that any operations not controlled by the central authority are contrary to their directives. Their objective was to bring the entire area under the control of the federal government - and this they succeeded in doing very well. They did not fail in New Orleans. They were a huge success. Once this simple fact is understood, everything that happened in the wake of Katrina becomes understandable and logical.
"If there are new terrorist attacks against the United States or Great Britain (or any other country), what we witnessed in New Orleans may have been a glimpse into the future of global collectivism." rest of the article

[deMolay]

The lives of hunter gathers was very short and brutish. An infected tooth was quite often a death sentence.

[Ebyss]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deMolay', 'A')n infected tooth was quite often a death sentence.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', 'I') have to echo Ludi - learn a bit more about hunter gatherers - we still have them today, like the !Kung San and the Hadza in Africa. Their lives aren't threatened by disease, malaise, toothache, warring tribes or predators, but by habitat loss caused be the greed of the wealthy Abu Dhabi royalty who want to use the Hadza land for their own personal safari park. May they rot in hell.

[Ludi]

http://www.survival-international.org/home

[deMolay]

Maybe I should have qualified that somewhat, only having had dealings and knowledge of North American Natives intamently. The average age of a North American Indian pre european culture was on average 30 years of age. They had fire, stone and bone and wood. They had dogs. An ancient Native was 45 years. Short and brutish. Even to this day the Inuit of Canada's north eat raw fat and raw meat. Only Hollywood could find glamor in their existence.

[oiless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deMolay', ' ')The average age of a North American Indian pre european culture was on average 30 years of age. An ancient Native was 45 years.

[brobak]

The average ages of members pre-industrial civilizations as a statistic is a bit misleading (like a lot of other statistics). On the face of it, it looks *really* bad. But it is skewed artificially low because of extremely high (in modern terms) infant mortality rates.
If you could make it into puberty, you had a good chance of making it to a decent age. Of course, things like infections took a higher toll than they do now, but think about it. 30 years old is about prime for an adult male. I'm 28, and I don't really see anything coming out of the woodwork and knocking me down (on average) at this age.

I'm too young to be at risk from chronic illnesses, and I've made it past the point where if I had some genetic disease, I'd have died from it.
In general this is about as good as it gets, so I don't see a reason I'd keel over.
Thats how a lot of people interpret 'average age'. They look at it, and figure, oh well crap, I made it to 35, *dead*. Not quite. (and thank goodness for that)
I also believe that the largest jumps in life span in western civilizations didn't come from any modern medical technology, but intead from sanitation technology. Underground sewers and flushing toilets went a LONG way in increasing the lifespan of those living in crowded conditions.

Since hunter/gatherer tribes are by definition small and isolated, you don't have the kind of sanitation problems that arise from large groups of densely packed people, and so you've already eliminated, or at least minimized the disease/infestation factors from that arise from a lack of sanitation.

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

I also believe that the largest jumps in life span in western civilizations didn't come from any modern medical technology, but intead from sanitation technology. Underground sewers and flushing toilets went a LONG way in increasing the lifespan of those living in crowded conditions.
Correct.

[evilgenius]

Something as simple as washing your hands! Mind you, it took the technology of the 19th century (the scientific method itself) to even get that far.

[sparky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Battle_Scarred_Galactico', 'I') personally think this is the most interesting question regarding PO, the future of the military.
I'm torn between the two arguements, I'm sure the military will be the last thing standing, I just can't see them bothering with anything not vital to them. I see gated areas and 'green zones', much like Iraq today.

[MalcolmV]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', ' ')GOOD GUYS WON? I will repeat that. In the movie "Road Warrior" (certainly the best of the Mel Gibson post-apocalyptic science fiction movie franchises that include 'Mad Max' and the much overrated 'Beyond Thunderdome') the white linen, organic cotton, long-haired male PEACENICKS actually kicked Humongous's slick butt and made a fool out of the dumb-shit Mel Gibson character. They played the jerk for the looser he was.

[Mircea]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', 'I') might also add that Native Americans were stone age hunter gatherers until the arrival of Columbus and the conqiustadors.

[skeptik]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sparky', ' ')The U.S. armed forces have a global reach and absolute dominance with a petrol consumtion equal to greece ,

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sparky', 'a') nuclear powered navy would still rule the sea lanes of the world, controlling raw material , energy and food exchanges whole countries would be dependent upon the U.S.A .good will
All other navies being even less that what their are now , glorified coast guards

[Mircea]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'S')S-22 Sunburns would deal with those, should they prove a big pain in the buttock.