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Civilizational Collapses - Ninurta - 12-28-2022
During the course of human history, civilization has repeatedly collapsed. The first that I am aware of is the Late Bronze Age Collapse, roughly 3200 years ago, but it was by no means the last, and we appear to be walking right into the perfect storm to precipitate yet another, on a grander, world-wide scale.
A couple of things that civilizational collapses all seem to have in common are 1) over-centralization of control, and 2) over-extension of supply lines, what is now known of as "Globalism".
The over-centralization is usually exhibited as ridiculous centralization of governmental control structures (think "Rome" as the hub of the Roman Empire) and unwarranted centralization of financial structures (think "central banks"). This centralization of power structures leaves them vulnerable to a death blow. Consider the current centralization of political power in the US into Washington, DC. That leaves the entire nation vulnerable, as a nuke or two on DC would throw the entire country into disarray, like a chicken with it's head cut off. Don't think our enemies haven't noticed that.
Likewise the US financial structure - take the Federal Reserve (or any other Central bank you choose) out, and suddenly there would be no one to run the financial show - the entire economy would vaporize.
Over-extension of supply lines can produce disastrous cascade collapses that effect far more than just that supply line. Take out just one "man in the middle" distribution point, or just one critical supply line, and watch how the carnage spreads from that single point into myriad other areas that became overly-dependent upon it - make gasoline and diesel unaffordable, and watch food prices rise out of control, even though none of us eat or drink petroleum products.
Putting all your eggs in one basket, and then putting that basket into the bull's eye far away from yourself still has a rippling effect that can collapse your own house.
We are witnessing, in our own day, yet another attempt by civilization to over-centralize control structures, and over-extend supply lines. They give it the pretty name of "Globalism" now, but make no mistake that the very central tenets of Globalism are the same damned things that have led to every other collapse of civilization in history.
Humans in general are stupid herd-beasts. As a matter of fact, calling humans "sheep" is, I believe, an insult to sheep. Will we ever learn from past mistakes? I doubt it - not as long as power can be centralized and a single person or group can seize that power for themselves. Humans are, not just stupid herd beasts, but also stupid herd beasts with a hankering for power over the other herd beasts, and control of them. So long as that is the case, civilizations will continue to collapse and have to start over from scratch.
When you add in "climate change" (which is always, and always has been changing), and other migratory pressures that cause one group to invade the territory of another group in search of cushier survival, you get a perfect storm that cascades into civilizational collapse - the "Sea Peoples" in the late bronze Age Collapse, the "Barbarians" in the collapse of the Roman Empire, and now the "migrants" from the Middle East currently invading Europe and the Hispanic "migrants" currently invading the US, are all examples of that phenomena. That ain't going to end well - it never has, NEVER, in all of human history.
The Late Bronze Age Collapse:
What we are seeing now is no different from what folks were seeing way back then. it's just a matter of time. While this video concentrates on the Mediterranean world and the Middle East, the migrations and collapse were not restricted to that area. For example, there is recorded in the ground evidence for a giant battle on the Tollense valley of Germany at the same time, fought with bronze weapons against stone and wooden weapons such as clubs. No one knows who the combatants were, or why, as history was not being recorded in Europe at that remote time. All we have are the remains of the dead and the weapons they killed one another with... but the timing is right to include the battle in this world-wide collapse of the original "Globalists".
ATTN Humanity: Learn from history or die. there is no third option. It may be that humanity really IS too dumb to live.
Globalism kills civilizations. We're next on the agenda.
"Too big to fail" = "too dumb to live".
.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - GeauxHomeLittleD - 12-28-2022
@"Ninurta"#2
Reading your post gave me flashbacks of that movie "Alexander". He tried to conquer the world, civilize the barbarians and make people equal by taking from some people to raise up other people who wouldn't do the same for themselves. In the end he was murdered. Eventually even the most compassionate people reach a breaking point in such scenarios because rather than people being raised up everyone ends up being brought down.
Resources are not infinite. When the givers start doing without and the takers are not the empathy ends- and heads will roll! The time is upon us.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - 727Sky - 12-29-2022
Throughout history humans have just been a resource to get the things those in control want; unfortunately human hubris and stupidity has always ended in the same way with a cruel restart for the masses.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - Ninurta - 12-29-2022
(12-29-2022, 10:20 AM)727Sky Wrote: Throughout history humans have just been a resource to get the things those in control want; unfortunately human hubris and stupidity has always ended in the same way with a cruel restart for the masses.
It's a shame that those in control never wise up enough to realize that they too have to live through the resets, or die like the rest. Death is the Great Equalizer - it doesn't care how much anyone has.
.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - BIAD - 12-29-2022
(12-29-2022, 04:02 PM)Ninurta Wrote:(12-29-2022, 10:20 AM)727Sky Wrote: Throughout history humans have just been a resource to get the things those in control want; unfortunately human hubris and stupidity has always ended in the same way with a cruel restart for the masses.
It's a shame that those in control never wise up enough to realize that they too have to live through the resets, or die like the rest. Death is the Great Equalizer - it doesn't care how much anyone has.
And he doesn't accept Visa or American Express.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - ABNARTY - 12-29-2022
Excellent OP. Great subject.
I agree with the cycles of civilizations. They come and go. The number of things that have to line up just right for a society to flourish are numerous. One tweak of one dial and it all starts to unravel.
IMHO, one element rarely discussed are the termites in the structure of society. Those who counter the hard work needed to keep civilization supported simply to prosper no matter the outcome.
Perhaps an anecdote to collapse is the composition of your structure. Do you live in NYC? In an apartment? Surrounded by thousands of sketchy neighbors? Miles from the nearest source of clean water or food?
Or do you live on a chunk of land where you can extract your own food and water with a degree of security? If it's the latter, then that collapse will have less affect on you. Rome came and went but those living in the hinterlands hardly noticed a blip.
RE: Civilizational Collapses - Michigan Swamp Buck - 12-30-2022
I just did a duck duck go search on longest lasting civilizations and it seems China is it at 3,500 years tied or a close second with Egypt. But most of the search results were for empires averaging around or under 1,000 years. I never considered a civilization to be the same as an empire, yet the search engine gives those results.
This has me wondering if perhaps we aren't talking civilization here but empire?