Of Great Civilizations
[thoughts from ~burning woman~ by Sha'Tara]
If one thing can be said for certain about the current state of our civilization, it's this: it isn't a great civilization. In many ways, it's paltry, tawdry, cheap, loud, cold, mean, selfish, ingrate, disrespectful (in Aces!) and without meaning. This is not an attack on, or judgement upon, individuals within this society, but a wholesale judgement of modern, global society and its attendant civilization.
So, someone is bound to object, why do you say our civilization isn't great? Look at what we have achieved! Look at our science and technology; our cities rising ever higher into the air; our growing ability to transform and use energy to send complex machinery into space to explore the galaxy; advances in understanding diseases and developing cures for a host of body ailments never before thought possible. Yes, and this someone could go on and on extolling the technological marvels of his society - but where he would come to a sputtering end with such a one-sided discourse would be in enumerating its actual virtues.
We know now, though many still refuse to acknowledge the fact, that this small world, over populated by seven billion Earthians all vociferously claiming entitlement to the technology oozing from scientific achievements, that it has reached a melt-down condition. It's fancy title is anthropogenic climate disruption. What that means is, man's irresponsible use of technology has created a self-perpetuating cycle of climate disruption that is in the process of changing the surface of this world. Without any change to man's input, he is about to be driven into space, underground or in the grave.
What needs to be understood and is loudly and cleverly concealed is that this is not a natural event. It isn't linked to any other conditions but what man has caused. Therefore it cannot end unless man ends it. Sadly any intelligent person can readily see (and hear!) that "man" has absolutely no intention of taking responsibility for using his technology in such a destructive way. The problem isn't that man couldn't, but that the destruction is tied directly into man's pretend economies - a bogus system of resource trade that serves plutocrats by enslaving the rest to their belief system. The richest one or two percent of the population is playing a *"Hunger Games" with the rest. With each passing year the stakes rise and the pressure to win intensifies. The only thing that matters to these crazed gamblers is who wins in the end. They have no qualms about that end either - it is of no significance to them since they are morally blind to the global effects of their addiction.
Speaking of the so-called West now, how did a society that came out of the "Dark Ages" into the Renaissance with such high hopes for a higher quality of life so quickly get subsumed into this confused thinking and acting that resulted in the current climate disruption quagmire? Well, it's certainly not a state secret - though it is a well-kept one simply by its non-mention.
What makes a great civilization great? Is it military conquest? The foisting of its religious beliefs upon the planet? Technological advancement? Some would say yes - and I would say they have no understanding of history. What makes enduring civilizations is their philosophy. It's the willingness of their people and particularly their leaders to look at their world and instead of thinking how they could expand their conquests and power, they reason the way of things and seek to better them in their own front and back yard. Those who have even a smattering of understanding of ancient history will know this. Some ancient civilizations, particularly Sumerian and Greek, provide many examples of attempts to better the lives of the people. Because of the preserved records we usually refer to Greece, and particularly to Athens, when we talk about human rights, justice, suffrage, advancements in health care and especially the arts. Greece is man's shining example of what a great society is. Not that it is perfect, far from it, but that it's focus is towards greater freedom, greater participation in governing, greater ennobling of man, not just certain men, as the one responsible for society and the world.
And what made Greece stand out as a great society? Why did it achieve so much before it too was consumed in the lust for power through dominance of other groups? It was its philosophers. Read it and weep because that is the one thing that modern society loudly treading its self-destruct path will avoid. Philosophy is not taught because it has a nasty side-effect: it tends to free the mind to reason things out for itself. Man's current "Hunger Games" society cannot tolerate free thinking. So the very things that make for a great society are denied the rank and file by the ubiquitous mind-controlling system of State, Church and Finance.
But that is not a bad thing. Why should something as important as the ability to reason be left in the hands of bought-and-paid-for state, religion and business hirelings calling themselves teachers? It's up to each and every individual to take responsibility for herself or himself and act accordingly. There is no age for this. A child is born a free thinker. Anyone can be a philosopher. Anyone can "invent" a great society in the mind. That's where all things come from.
"All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never have any other than an existence of mediocrity." (James Fenimore Cooper, "On Individuality")(*The term "Hunger Games" is in reference to the dystopian novel written by Suzanne Collins, published in 2008)
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." (Henry David Thoreau, "Walden")
This week a TV article described efforts to avoid a severe water crisis in Wichita Falls, TX. Their water supply is expected to be exhausted in a couple of months, if I remember correctly. Watering residential grass lawns was said to be the major drain on their water supply. One of their tools to circumvent the crisis was to allocate specific days of the week for this activity, with water police checking for adherence to the law.
I find it incredulous that any grass watering at all is allowed, but this attitude is an example of consumptive thinking everywhere. Impending ecological crisis is either denied, ignored, or downplayed to brook no interference with "the economy." It seems that it will be business as usual until a lack of the basics of existence brings actual PAIN. By then, I can only suspect that it will be too late.
In my mind, there is no inherent moral deficit with pursuing technology for the betterment of human life. Where there is an inherent moral deficit is in not equally applying technology to efforts to limit the human population to a resource sustainable number. And sustainability comes in at a far lower number than what we currently have.
Best regards,
Leland
The underpinnings of higher education and its highest honor is the Doctor of Philosophy. My doctorate is not in philosophy, but I studied philosophy and wrote my dissertation using tenets from philosophy. Most people who seek PhDs seek them in other fields rather than philosophy because philosophy does not pay. While searching for jobs in higher education, there was very little turnover in tenure positions in philosophy. In fact, professors of philosophy were the lowest paid professors of all. Medical doctors, "glorified technicians," my doctoral advisor called them, were the highest paid.
So, society is so unable to do critical thinking except by following the latest "what's on sale ad" and playing the lottery to get rich quick, that billions of people are going to fall off the edge when food becomes a precious commodity and the rich and their enclaves will laugh at the foolish nature of man, as they too, will eventually find that they have painted themselves into a corner they can't escape where riches won't matter with no water to drink.
Ron
Sha'Tara is in his reading and research... This of course is another brilliant write of his... Excellent message
Love and Light,
Lily
xo
Love ya!
Jane