what is civilisation?
Feb 8th, 2008 by admin
City-based - the majority of the population live in towns and cities, where most of their daily necessities (food, water, energy etc) are transported to them.
Heirarchies - a ‘power-over’ or pyramid social structure, where some people have more power or ‘worth’ than others. Bosses, kings & queens, clergy, business leaders, police etc have authority over other people (whether those people grant it or not). A few at the top of the heirarchy have very comfortable lives, exploiting & controlling those further down, while at the bottom life is a hard struggle for survival.
Slavery - the majority of the populace are coerced into working for the
system/elites.
For example, in modern civilisation individuals must work to earn money to pay rent, mortgage, taxes or to buy food.
For most on the lower rungs of the heirarchy there is little choice but wage slavery.
It is a crime not to have money - vagrancy. The reward system of ‘money’ makes it all the easier to enslave the masses without flagrant violence, especially as nowadays the bottom rungs of the ladder are occupied by other peoples in other lands, where open violence is more common-place.
War - civilisation only functions through constant expansion. That means that neighbouring lands, people and resources have to be ‘absorbed’ to fuel the growth. Our civilisation is a culture of occupation - initially absorbing the surrounding countryside, enslaving the peasants to feed the the city’s inhabitants. Then absorbing neighbouring cities - their slaves, land & resources now feeding the conquerors.
Eventually civilisation reaches its endgame, where leaders have to invent
enemies (didnt they always, to keep feeding growth), and there is little left to conquer. With war, and the constant requirement to build new weapons, civilisation economics could not work.
Anti-nature - constant growth requires resources, forests, fuel, food, minerals etc. Civilisation conveniently views humans as being above nature, its only perceived value as resources to plunder & pillage. Civilised people, cut off from nature and the landbase that supports them, do not perceive themselves as part of the natural world, and in fact often fear it.
Specialisation - freed from the need to take a hand in feeding themselves, by civilisation’s enslavement of other ‘less worthy’ peoples, the civilised become more and more single-minded and specialised, thus allowing the civilised to work 40 to 60 hours a week doing the same thing every day, instead of the 2 or 3 hours a day it would take to feed oneself from a piece of land or hunter/gathering.
One true way - civilised people are indoctrinated to feel that this is the only way that people can live. To be civilised is to be better than the ’savages’ of other cultures. To be different is to be ‘backward’ or ‘evil’. Within civilisation there is massive peer pressure to conform, to be ‘normal’ and not to stand out as an individual. In fact the history of civilisation is a mere blip in the history of humanity. Civilised people believe that they are the pinnacle of human acheivement, and strive to indoctrinate uncivilised peoples into their way, often with genocidal results.
Ultimately civilisation is a culture that rewards the most destructive, sociopathic and greedy people within the society. Any activity that destroys the landbase, enslaves & controls large numbers of people, or shows subservience to those higher up the heirarchy, is well rewarded with money and higher standing in the community. Inventions that create artificial needs get developed, while ideas that solve real problems (but with little economic value) are shelved or even stifled. Daily reality for millions and millions of people is one of boredom, stress, fear and submission. Civilisation has changed the climate, wiped out countless species, levelled almost all forests, poisoned the seas - making any alternatives to civilisation more difficult with each passing day.
We need to start living a different way before it is too late to live at all.
I am happy to discover this web site and its themes. I think that I will find much to agree with. Those who do not separate from our destructive, commodifying global civilization will lose most of their individual freedoms and suffer horrifying damage to their uniquely special personal identities.
Sooner or later, God will judge our globalized “civilization.” Those who are humble enough to respect the natural order and add graceful love to it are more likely to survive these coming trials and provide the foundation for a better age to come.
Check out my developing theses at http://www.digitalspirituality.org for more commentary on these themes as well as non-violent living.
One way I have defined civilization in the history classes that I teach is: “the set of all artificial realities created by human imagination.”
fab website, it’s what i would say if i could only learn how to use enough colours! well done, thank you, and keep it up xx
How to start civilization afresh, one way
Universal Birthright
The seed of civilization
We agree that ….
Universal Birthright is the entitlement due by the sole virtue of birth. The Universal Birthright of every child born on the earth is to have a fair share of the land and resources of the planet. This is an Earth Claim made by the authority of agreement and the simple foundation of equality. We all have an equal right and claim to the earth and the fullness thereof. We are the same and equal.
This birthright is shared and individual. All resources under the earth, water, oil, metals, minerals and treasures are the collective trust and stewardship of all mankind and are to be divided justly for the good of all. Anything grown or created above ground is for the administration of those who did it, without limit. Birthright has shared rights and responsibilities alongside the individual sovereignty of land stewardship.
This view of universal birthright has been the dream of all oppressed people of every persuasion, race and belief. Universal Birthright is fundamental to the idea that all men and women were created equal and a simple moral expression of what equality means. A fair and equal share of the collectively held resources enables the survival of adequate self government. The collected resources of history are the wealth of nations.
Wealth or Prosperity? Choose One
Wealth is the accumulation of resources. All resources come from the earth, everything we have comes from the extracted or harvested bounty of the planet thru the endless labor of people everywhere. That labor and those resources are collected by our commercial system, moved around, sold and the gain becomes wealth, gathered and stored up blood, sweat and time.
Most accumulated wealth is currently held by a very few, principalities, powers, corporations, governments, cartels, institutions and other organizations It is being wasted by a system dedicated to making the earth a den of competing, thief merchants and the people consumer drunk slaves.
The Apocalypse or opening of the idea of universal birthright is the social uncovering of the end of one way and the beginning concept of another. So we can realistically think about starting civilization afresh with a new beginning based on a simple agreement, easily comprehended by children around the world and capable of turning the course of history.
The power of Agreement, the Power of One
Universal Birthright is an agreement that the people of the Earth can make and by making, found a new beginning, a renewed moral and social foundation, built on equality and common survival. This is authority based on conscious, free agreement and not on the power of the sword. When we agree, we become free and freely unite and together become stronger and more capable of sustaining life and creating a truly prosperous future. Whatsoever we agree to in our hearts will manifest in the outer world.
The agreement and support of the People is the beginning and end of all social authority. All political and social elements must respond to the needs of the whole and defend the sustained rights of the people. This makes possible timely and large scale economic and social change using the prime authority of agreement, across all levels of life.
Universal Birthright means we all have a share of these this resource we call the Earth. How could such an idea work? Where is all of the accumulated wealth of the past? What can we do today? How fast can we make this happen?
from Hard Seed, http://www.homegrowngreens.com
Dear Endgame,
I wanted to get in touch with you because of your recent posts on activism and the environment. I work for a company called SnagFilms that allows audiences to watch award-winning documentaries online for free, help support filmmakers and donate to groups that work on issues like implementing solar energy systems in developing countries. We have a film called FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS, a Robert Redford narrated documentary that tells the story of farmers, ranchers and Mayors fighting against the construction of 18 new coal-burning power plants in Texas. I would like to invite you to pick up the SnagFilms widget for this film and share it with your audience by creating a virtual movie theater on your blog.
We have scoured the web for sites we think cover with excellence the topics that are also the focus of some of our films. There is a natural fit with your site, so we would like to invite you to open one of the first SnagFilms theaters. These widgets will help you attract and retain users, but they also benefit the community. By showcasing this growing library of inspirational films, you will support an independent filmmaker and vital causes, while also increasing the time spent on your blog by your readers, and adding another reason for new readers to visit.
Movies like these have the powerful ability to speak to readers in ways that other types of widgets cannot. Many industry analysts increasingly point to multimedia widgets as a powerful way to engage users. By adding our widget to your site, you can:
1. Heighten user interaction and time spent on your site
2. Generate buzz
3. Reach a larger audience
4. Promote a unique service to your community.
The SnagFilms movie player does not require a desktop download, but instead efficiently streams the films. All expenses, including streaming costs, are covered by SnagFilms and there is no additional load on your servers. You need only provide the pixels and we take care of the rest.
We have some pretty audacious goals – we believe we can preserve and strengthen independent filmmaking; we think we can use the democracy of the web to build stronger communities; and we know we can enrich a great number of websites with what is normally the most costly content: professional, compelling films. There are less than 500 theaters in the US that show indie films even occasionally – with your help, we’ll have over 1 million virtual theaters open 24X7. You can lead the way.
I hope you’ll consider adding FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS to your site. To add the widget, click on the “Snag” button under “Snag This Film” at http://snagfilms.com/films/title/fighting_goliath_texas_coal_wars/. Feel free to email me with any questions.
Best regards,
Richard Matson
hi richard
although we’d like to promote your project, we dont feel able to link to your movies because of the nature of the advertising that supports you.
we played that movie and were shocked by the advert that preceded it. sorry, we understand that you need to make an income, but cannot support your advertisers.
if you remove the advert at the start, we will reconsider. the sidebar advertising etc is not a problem, readers can choose to ignore, but adverts in the movie panel are forced upon our readers.
otherwise good luck with your project and thanks for contacting us.
admin
Hi,
I found your website while searching for green sites, and thought that you might be interested in what our company, FoodServiceWarehouse.com, is doing to actively promote green practices in the restaurant industry.
FoodServiceWarehouse.com is a Greenwood Village, Colorado company that was started by a group of avid environmentalists. Our commitment to the environment can be seen from the environmentally conscious way that we run our own company and the programs we have developed to help the restaurant industry become more environmentally responsible.
As part of our services, we have created an industry leading certification program aimed at helping commercial kitchens cope with the costs and complexities of going green. The program features educational resources, rewards and the industry’s only free certification process, modeled after, and fulfilling credits for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
We invite you to visit our website http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/going-green/c11836.aspx , and check out what we think is the most complete resource on the web for commercial kitchens looking to go green.
And to show our dedication in helping commercial kitchens slash energy costs, conserve water and reduce their environmental impact, we are giving away a green commercial kitchen worth up to $40,000 to one qualifying kitchen.
We are eager to spread the word about our tremendous Green Commercial Kitchen Giveaway. As an incentive for this, we are offering a $1,000 reward to whichever site refers the winning entry to us. If you are interested in this, all you need to do is place the link below on your blog by September 30, 2008, and reply to this e-mail to let us know it’s there. The link must still be in place on the the day that we notify the winner of the program, which will be on or about December 1st, 2008.
The html code for the link is shown below.* Graphic banners are available upon request.
I hope you find our Going Green Program to be a valuable resource for your readers and share our enthusiasm for helping the restaurant industry go green.
Sincerely,
Ashley Howard
Green Kitchen Consultant
Food Service Warehouse.com
5670 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. Suite 525
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
* Link Code
Green Commercial Kitchen Giveaway