Civilization

Watching the "news" from Afghanistan on a German television channel the other night, the reporter

drew attention to the problems the troops were facing there, in a "rather undeveloped civilization". So

what the heck was I to understand with what he was saying? What is understood by "Civilization"?

Wikipedia: Civilization is a sometimes controversial term which has been used in several related ways.

Primarily, the term has been used to refer to human cultures which are complex in terms of technology,

science, politics and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally urbanized. In classical contexts

civilized peoples were called this in contrast to "barbarian" peoples, while in modern contexts civilized

peoples have been contrasted to "primitive" peoples.

WordWeb: Civilization is a “Society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal

and political and religious organizations)”. E.g. "The people slowly progressed from barbarism (a

barbarous, cruel, or savage act) to civilization" Also understood by ‘civilization’: “The quality of

excellence in thought and manners and taste”

Henry Miller: “Civilization is drugs, alcohol, engines of war, prostitution, machines and machine slaves,

low wages, bad food, bad taste, prisons, reformatories, lunatic asylums, divorce, perversion, brutal

sports, suicides, infanticide, cinema, quackery, demagogy, strikes, lockouts, revolutions, putsches,

colonization, electric chairs, guillotines, sabotage, floods, famine, disease, gangsters, money barons,

horse racing, fashion shows, poodle dogs, chow dogs, Siamese cats, condoms, pessaries, syphilis,

gonorrhea, insanity, neuroses, etc., etc.”

Somehow, to me, it seems rather evident, that Henry Miller is the one who has jotted down the best and

by far the most comprehensive definition of civilization. I mean, if you take an objective look at what

the "pinnacle of western civilization" today does to, and with, the -in their opinion- not so civilized parts

of the world, don't you feel there is something uncivilized with what we are doing out there in Iraq and

Afghanistan and... ? I mean, don't you agree that the western world is undertaking some extremely

barbarous, cruel, or savage acts around in the world, not befitting any society which claims to be in an

advanced state of social development?

In fact, the leaders of the civilized world are constantly screwing, not only people in the developing

world, but they screw their own countrymen as well. The rich are getting richer and the poor are up to

their chin in a steadily growing missery... on the brink of going under. Is it not then fit to question if

the civilized part of the world is anything but civilized? When you look at the US of A and the EU

today, with their barbaric military activities, virtually in each and every small country where natural

resources are present, can the western world be seen as anything but barbaric, with a brainless

population kowtowing to their lunatic leaders?

Brandulph: Civilization is a society in an advanced state of unsocial development, with complex legal and

political and religious organization, operated by corrupt politicians, oligarchs and corporations. The

operations undertaken by so called civilizations, are initially mostly concealed in a way, which prevent

their true object from being seen or discovered. All operations/engagements by the Civilized World, in

the name of democracy and “help“, in the so called developing part of the world, are in reality pure

buccaneering operation, and always associated with barbarous, cruel, or savage acts, in the name of

humanity. Share insanity!

Well, my view and opinion on our so called civilization, is hence that the people have not slowly

progressed from barbarism, but progressed to a rather cleverly concealed barbarism. Barbarism

wrapped up in glorious words of human empathy and philanthropy with the blessing of the Pope, Kings,

Presidents, and Ministers of all kind.