Is Civilization Breaking Down?

[Bodi]

America first. Around the world was a game

Who cares about America?

 

[eohrnberger]

In my 50+ yrs on this planet, I've never seen so many disruptions and crises occurring simultaneously and concurrently. The natural disasters with fires and hurricanes, social and civic unrest over political ideologies, pandemic caused business failures and global supply chain shortages, and now military conflict in Europe.

The world is changing dramatically and fast, and not all for the better.

I think there might be a limit as to how much more of this acceleration humans can take, and remain sane, stable, and relatively unstressed.

 

[ataraxia]

In my 50+ yrs on this planet, I've never seen so many disruptions and crises occurring simultaneously and concurrently. The natural disasters with fires and hurricanes, social and civic unrest over political ideologies, pandemic caused business failures and global supply chain shortages, and now military conflict in Europe.

The world is changing dramatically and fast, and not all for the better.

I think this whole narrative of "progress" happening to humanity through its history, but one generation building on the experiences and mistakes of previous generations, and being something inevitable, almost divinely preordained, was a late 18th/19th century view which has become obsolete. I can see why, after the scientific revolution and all the incredible fruits that came from it- including the tremendous growth in wealth and living standards that came from its byproduct, the industrial revolution; or the advances in freedom and efficient governance that came from the political philosophy of the European enlightenment- people started thinking that progress was inevitable.

But this narrative was challenged even as far back as the horrors of WWI. We realized that those same amazing products of the industrial revolution could be turned to factory-manufacture death, destruction, and misery as well- from machines guns to chemical weapons to nukes in WWII. It was very disillusioning.

But that doesn't mean progress is impossible. It just means it's not inevitable. There is no divine pre-ordained utopia we are destined for- where God's will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. It's just all up to us- how stupid or smart we are.

So- how smart or stupid are we?

We are about to answer that question.

 

[post]

In my 50+ yrs on this planet, I've never seen so many disruptions and crises occurring simultaneously and concurrently. The natural disasters with fires and hurricanes, social and civic unrest over political ideologies, pandemic caused business failures and global supply chain shortages, and now military conflict in Europe.

The world is changing dramatically and fast, and not all for the better.

Too young to have experienced '67 - '68...

Detroit - 1967

US Embassy - Saigon January, 1968

On this day in 1968, as part of the Tet Offensive, a squad of Viet Cong guerillas attacks the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. The soldiers seized the embassy and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and routed the Viet Cong.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in...On this day in 1968,and routed the Viet Cong.

Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy - HISTORY​

https://www.history.com/this-day-in...On this day in 1968,and routed the Viet Cong.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/DeadVietCong1968.jpg/800px-DeadVietCong1968.jpg?1647296001563

February, 1968

Final Words: Cronkite's Vietnam Commentary - NPR​

https://www.npr.org › templates › story › story
Jul 18, 2009 — Parting words from Walter Cronkite: His famous Vietnam commentary, originally aired on a special CBS News broadcast Feb. 27, 1968.


April, 1968

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

June, 1968

Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

August, 1968

1968 Democratic Convention

www.history.com

The Dirtiest Piece of Writing in Print - JSTOR Daily

The 1968 DNC was overshadowed by anti-war demonstrations. The Walker Report describing the events became controversial for the obscenities it contained.

daily.jstor.org

Notable weather events from the year you were born

Each decade and each year within them bear out their own unique weather events. Stacker consulted historical, climatologic, and other news sources to find the most notable weather events each year since the Great Depression.

stacker.com

1968: Hurricane Low Q​

A storm that forecasters predicted would miss Scotland changed course and slammed into the country's heavily populated central belt with 103 mph winds Jan. 14, 1968. In total, Hurricane Low Q left 2,000 Scots homeless and killed 21 people. Part of the horror of Scotland's worst ever storm was that it came seemingly without warning for the people of Glasgow.

Great Flood of 1968 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/April_1968_New_Zealand_Ex-tropical_Cyclone_Giselle

The storm was the worst on record for many parts of New Zealand. It was classed as the most destructive to strike the country since the early days of settlement, exceeding in violence the storm of 2nd February 1936.

 

[eohrnberger]

I think this whole narrative of "progress" happening to humanity through its history, but one generation building on the experiences and mistakes of previous generations, and being something inevitable, almost divinely preordained, was a late 18th/19th century view which has become obsolete. I can see why, after the scientific revolution and all the incredible fruits that came from it- including the tremendous growth in wealth and living standards that came from its byproduct, the industrial revolution; or the advances in freedom and efficient governance that came from the political philosophy of the European enlightenment- people started thinking that progress was inevitable.

But this narrative was challenged even as far back as the horrors of WWI. We realized that those same amazing products of the industrial revolution could be turned to factory-manufacture death, destruction, and misery as well- from machines guns to chemical weapons to nukes in WWII. It was very disillusioning.

But that doesn't mean progress is impossible. It just means it's not inevitable. There is no divine pre-ordained utopia we are destined for- where God's will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. It's just all up to us- how stupid or smart we are.

So- how smart or stupid are we?

We are about to answer that question.

Generally agree with most of your main points you have here, hence the 'like' I gave it.

Progress is not inevitable nor preordained, never has been, never will be, it is the human spirit drives it forward, crush that, progress will cease, at least self-initiated progress.

I think mankind has yet to invent 'efficient governance', that which we have now, certainly can't qualify as such, nor as effective either.
Wasteful and ham fisted are far more accurate.

"So- how smart or stupid are we?"
We, as human beings, aren't that smart.
Sure, we are clever, we have figured out a wide number of complex and intricate technologies, but how many times do we need to repeat that which we should have learned from past history?

I agree. 'We are about to answer that question.'
Hopefully we will have learned from history, but I rather doubt it.

 

[eohrnberger]

Generally agree with most of your main points you have here, hence the 'like' I gave it.

Progress is not inevitable nor preordained, never has been, never will be, it is the human spirit drives it forward, crush that, progress will cease, at least self-initiated progress.

I think mankind has yet to invent 'efficient governance', that which we have now, certainly can't qualify as such, nor as effective either.
Wasteful and ham fisted are far more accurate.

"So- how smart or stupid are we?"
We, as human beings, aren't that smart.
Sure, we are clever, we have figured out a wide number of complex and intricate technologies, but how many times do we need to repeat that which we should have learned from past history?

I agree. 'We are about to answer that question.'
Hopefully we will have learned from history, but I rather doubt it.

Well, @ataraxia, you gave my post a like. I appreciate that.

Why are we following, and governed by, and continually re-elect, those political elites which can't seem to learn from history while stealing the rest of the population blind?

 

[Deuce]

In my 50+ yrs on this planet, I've never seen so many disruptions and crises occurring simultaneously and concurrently. The natural disasters with fires and hurricanes, social and civic unrest over political ideologies, pandemic caused business failures and global supply chain shortages, and now military conflict in Europe.

The world is changing dramatically and fast, and not all for the better.

These things have always been happening, you just weren't as exposed to the information.

 

[iguanaman]

I think the difference in these problems having always been historically with us, we've never had so many people before relying on everything to run smoothly. Before technology, the world was more self reliant, but this current generation absolutely needs electricity, energy, communications, internet, food production, supplies, etc.

They world sucked before technology and we were even more vulnerable to disease. Man barely survived without technology. On the down side technology has given us the means to exterminate the earth but you can't have everything.

 

[iguanaman]

Well, @ataraxia, you gave my post a like. I appreciate that.

Why are we following, and governed by, and continually re-elect, those political elites which can't seem to learn from history while stealing the rest of the population blind?

We did not reelect the elitist that wished to destroy us. That is something. No one is more privileged and "elite" than DJT. Electing people that understand and support our Constitution is just common sense.

 

[Common Sense 1]

Who cares about America?

The world does!

 

[george48]

In my 50+ yrs on this planet, I've never seen so many disruptions and crises occurring simultaneously and concurrently. The natural disasters with fires and hurricanes, social and civic unrest over political ideologies, pandemic caused business failures and global supply chain shortages, and now military conflict in Europe.

The world is changing dramatically and fast, and not all for the better.

In discussions like these I am always reminded of the Einstein quote: The third world war will be fought by nukes and the 4th by sticks and stones...

Again...let us hope this never comes to pass... ever...

I still have a little faith in humanity in these darkest of times.

 

[Common Sense 1]

Just going through a rocky spot right now.
We have been through much worst.
We are a resilient country. No doubt we will
ride out this tough spot.

 

[reflechissez]

I think there might be a limit as to how much more of this acceleration humans can take, and remain sane, stable, and relatively unstressed.

Compared to whom/what?

 

[Bodi]

The world does!

That is what Americans think...

 

[post]

We did not reelect the elitist that wished to destroy us. That is something. No one is more privileged and "elite" than DJT. Electing people that understand and support our Constitution is just common sense.

By Peter Grant
Feb. 21, 2016 8:43 pm ET
"Louise Sunshine became friends with Donald J. Trump in the early 1970s when she was finance chairwoman of the New York state Democratic Party and helped him get something he had always wanted from the state: a vanity license plate with his initials, DJT.
Soon after, Ms. Sunshine went to work for the Trump Organization. For the next 16 years, she helped him pioneer the business of selling condominiums in buildings with the Trump name..."

 

[Hamish Howl]

To ask whether civilization is breaking down is to assume that the society is currently "civilized."

Of course, this planet has never been civilized.

Look at history: wars, injustices, cruelty, etc.

And, of course, that the monster in the Kremlin can seemingly get away with killing people in hospitals is proof positive of how uncivilized human beings still are.

Of course, I will not even have to mention the brutes who commit ordinary street crime that brings such suffering to victims and their families.

Civilization means when you turn the tap, water comes out.

Culture and society are different things.

 

[grip]

You realize that instant communication world wide makes it seem like more things are happening now than when it took a letter to travel 3 months, right?

Do you realize that more things are actually happening?

 

[grip]

I think this whole narrative of "progress" happening to humanity through its history, but one generation building on the experiences and mistakes of previous generations, and being something inevitable, almost divinely preordained, was a late 18th/19th century view which has become obsolete. I can see why, after the scientific revolution and all the incredible fruits that came from it- including the tremendous growth in wealth and living standards that came from its byproduct, the industrial revolution; or the advances in freedom and efficient governance that came from the political philosophy of the European enlightenment- people started thinking that progress was inevitable.

But this narrative was challenged even as far back as the horrors of WWI. We realized that those same amazing products of the industrial revolution could be turned to factory-manufacture death, destruction, and misery as well- from machines guns to chemical weapons to nukes in WWII. It was very disillusioning.

But that doesn't mean progress is impossible. It just means it's not inevitable. There is no divine pre-ordained utopia we are destined for- where God's will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. It's just all up to us- how stupid or smart we are.

So- how smart or stupid are we?

We are about to answer that question.

Humanity is a victim of our own advanced intelligence and success. I think God knew this would happen because we haven't sought balance with our environment. There can be no progress without sacrifice.

 

[grip]

These things have always been happening, you just weren't as exposed to the information.

No, the world is changing dramatically, and not for the better.

 

[Antiwar]

We have essentially been waging war against the planet we live on for centuries.

 

[grip]

They world sucked before technology and we were even more vulnerable to disease. Man barely survived without technology. On the down side technology has given us the means to exterminate the earth but you can't have everything.

We can't accurately measure today's quality of life with yesterday's without an actual ability to compare. Though modern life is without a doubt easier, not necessarily better.

 

[Bodi]

Do you realize that more things are actually happening?

There are more people so more things are happening... and that is why you have to use percentages and why they do rates (per thousand, etc.), etc.

In that context things are about the same.

 

[grip]

There are more people so more things are happening... and that is why you have to use percentages and why they do rates (per thousand, etc.), etc.

In that context things are about the same.

The world is precariously on the precipice, more so than ever before.

 

[phoenix2020]

The world is precariously on the precipice, more so than ever before.

It is not. Things are pretty chill these. One has to be a real snowflake to think these are extreme, end-of-days times but I guess some people just aren’t that resilient and adaptable.

 

[grip]

It is not. Things are pretty chill these. One has to be a real snowflake to think these are extreme, end-of-days times but I guess some people just aren’t that resilient and adaptable.

I hope you're right but the signs are pointing elsewhere.