Michael Smith

Tim adds:

Well said. Civilization was not something anyone wanted. It was a necessity, born of the need for security and material wants. For a million years humanity lived as hunter-gatherers in small tribes. They starved in winter. They were cold then, and hot in summer. They were always fearful of being raided. They had to make everything themselves. It was not an entertaining way to live. With the coming of agriculture we found a way to thrive, but the land can be a terrible tyrant. Cities were born, and then empires. Finding the balance between a central power and human autonomy was very difficult, and usually ended in statism or barbarism. Western Civilization found that balance, albeit a shaky one. Concerns with rights and liberties couple with loyalty to one's people, one's country and kin. But it is a messy process, something that a lot of people do not like. There are people who want everything sorted, organized, pidgeon-holed. Sadly, the increasing complexity of our civilization favors those who want that and they are imposing their vision on the rest of us.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 01:01 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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