Rendering unto Caesar: The Myth of Civilization

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Huntington's Clash of Civilizations deals with an aspect of the global scene that one of our students likened to an algae raft. Imagine a lake completely covered with algae. Minor differences in the genetic composition of algae leads to a competition between the distinct varieties. A zone of conflict appears where each variety attacks the other with hostile toxins.

The planet is like the lake in the sense that it is covered with power cults of minor differences. The God of Redneckistan differs slightly from the Allah of Wahhibistan which differs slightly from the Allah of Khomeinistan. All of these material Creator gods differ slightly from that of Mosistan and that of Maoistan. Each of these power cults secrete toxins in a struggle to dominate the globe.

What Huntington failed to consider is not the conflict, but the name "civilization." Stone Age power structures do not a civilization make. The problem is a lack of civility and civilization.

What do you see as your role in your local power cult? Do you see yourself as its proponent or as an element of resistance?

Comments

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

My role in my power cult is to draw aggro and buff my allies just like any good paladin during a raid.

Power cult is what they call guilds on the European servers, right?

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Ultimately, we're all proponents, regardless of how much we sometimes like to think that we're elements of resistance. The genuine elements of resistance throughout history can be counted on the fingers of my two hands and the toes of one of my feet. And they all didn't last very long and ended in pains.

Do you want to end in pain or you'll render unto Caesar just like every single one of the rest of us does?

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

As Steve would've said here:

HA!

Resistance...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... is futile.

On the other hand, there are ways to resist without bumping up against the Gestapo.

Re: Resistance...

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Will you render unto Caesar or not. Gestapo insists to know.

Re: Resistance...

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

If there ain't Molatav cocktails then there ain't no fun.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Huntington falls into the old mistake of seeing civilizations as monolithic blocs. The current "Clash of Civilizations" as he sees it is rather the contest of elements of US society and a certain political wing in it with a variety of different extremisms across the world, of which Islamism is the most flamboyant.

The problem *you* have is associating civilization itself with good. That is emphatically not the case with any of the established civilizations, as opposed to the semi-tribal states that ruled Europe until the 15th Century or so....

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

I'll take civilization over tribes any day. At least with civilization I don't have to shit behind a tree.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't with an actual tribe, either, as those evolved in direct response *to* civilizations. Hunter-gatherer bands you would, though. Though the only hunter-gatherers left are a few ultra-conservative subsets of some African peoples and Eskimos and even Eskimos use snowmobiles these days.

If you were correct...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... about my associating civilization itself with good, I would not have have discussed the myth of civilization. What traditional political science labels "civilization" is pretty barbaric.

Re: If you were correct...

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

And you propose to replace it with what, exactly?

Re: If you were correct...

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

As opposed to what actual barbarians did? At least with civilization barbarism we get Playstation, pizza and porn.

With classic barbarism you just get a funny hat, pickled fish and the occasion raid on a monestary.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

So the US is fucked then. Hoo boy.

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

But we kick everyone's ass and thus prevail. :)

That sounds like...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... the Pentagon.

[mrsilence.livejournal.com]

LOL

Excuse me, I know you're implying that the "other" is the one that does this, but while that is true in spade, your simple definition, as has been pointed out, also includes every other civilisation currently in existence, and certainly applies to your own.

[mcpreacher.livejournal.com]

i nominate sophia_sadek for poster of the year

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Seconded. She never floods people with macros.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

I see myself as the skipper of the speedboat with big-ass twin outboards roaring across the lake.

And I see...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... the fish cringing in fear as they hear the horrible buzz in the water.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

"our students"? Are you a hive mind or a multiple personality?

Your view of power cults is too limited, as you're only considering explicitly religious groups, when those aren't actually the ones with the power to secrete toxins.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

In other normal civilized countries, they aren't indeed.

'Twas not the royal we.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I participate in a school with a number of other people.

As for religious groups, they are the problem children of humanity. There is a reason that the CIA favored Islamist fanatics over more moderate operators. The religious bigots tend to be more into theft, murder, and destruction.