Ain't no "if" about that collapse; "when" would be more accurate.
Agreed.
And the wonderful achievements of Progressive Liberalism only cost us:
Agreed.
But our "homeless people" can have a shiny toy to compensate them for their lack of basic security and so-called necessities. Yes, they are marginally better off than (for instance) the residents of cities bombed out by U.S. proxy forces to protect and serve the U.S. National Interest. So that makes it all OK.
Whoa now. Never said it made anything OK. But from the POV of the peasants, human history is largely about getting the means to migrate from one place where life is really screwed up, to a place where it is less screwed up. At present, the West is less screwed up: which is why those refugees you mentioned are walking north, and German's aren't walking south.
Slowly healing? But not fast enough? I wish I had the kind of income and assets that make it possible to submerge oneself in that delusional fantasy world.
Has nothing to do with my income, not that I'm rich at all. But I've held that view even when I was dirt broke. Given the choice between pessimism and optimism, I always choose optimism. But, in terms of humanity growing, or healing? I don't think its a fantasy. Look at Western history: Open, official monarchs have been dethroned, we now only deal with largely covert oligarchs. God is dead, and we only deal with a vocal minority and unraveling the cultural norms informed by the myth. Personal racism is on the decline, and systemic racism is once again the topic of the day where different races, and age groups, come out to speak out against it. Look at Asian history: China is finally coming out of its slumber and will provide a much needed counter-balance to Western dominance. Already there are forces at work at reforming the Chinese economy and society, and they haven't even really gotten off the ground yet. Look at the Middle East: For all intents and purposes they are in the midst of their Dark Ages. In the 1950s in Saudi Arabia, wealth was defined as the number of camels one had. Today, education is highly valued and prized. The current tensions are largely due to the earth-shaking effects of modern life on a culture that is largely still in the 16th century. That is rapidly changing, and already there are several key partners in the region that, at least for now, are committed to helping advance the Arab world and bring it to the table, so to speak. Africa: Yeah, Africa is totally fucked. But not if the Chinese have their way. China (and thank goodness for that long-term Confucian thinking) has already began to build important relationships there that are free of the old European colonial tensions. China is bankrolling the creation of the African Union headquarters, and has invested heavily in getting infrastructure and communications networks going.
Our Middle and Ruing classes voluntarily participate in rationalizations
So? When was that ever not the case in human history? Every society has engaged in some type of cultural mythology that plainly disagrees with the facts. This is nothing new, and certainly nothing worse, than in other times in history.
Blame the victims, and anyone who disagrees with you about how fucking wonderful Industrial Age civilization is. That's the Party line.
Yeah, but I never said that. If I had it my way, we'd transfer all technological and industrial production to one city, maybe two cities per continent. Those would be the centers of production and learning. A handful of modern cities could produce all the goods, medicine, and so on needed if most people CHOSE to live simply as in circa 1800. Maybe with a modern convenience or two in the way of communications/education. And even that is mostly just a bone tossed to those that simply MUST HAVE technology. But I'll never get my way. Because people don't want that, and it isn't some propaganda job that makes them not want that. They don't want it because the death rate is higher. They don't want it because the infant mortality rate is higher. They don't want it because the common work they will have to do will mean busting their ass in a field actually GATHERING food, rather than walking around an air-conditioned store. Why would they? You can't seriously expect people to individually work against their self-interest. Well, I mean, I guess you can.. but you're going to be disappointed. This goes to my naturalistic thesis. You wouldn't expect a lion not to eat your pet dog, so why the do you expect a glorified ape to NOT act like a glorified ape?
Meanwhile, the "mature, responsible citizens" who parrot that propaganda line do not WISH for their relatives to be raped and killed: They support the rape and murder of whole cities, which pays for their comfortable, upwardly mobile lifestyle.
Come now. Very few people SUPPORT the rape and murder of whole cities. First of all, rape in Western militaries is lower than any time in history. It's actually a crime, rather than an approved war trophy. So stop with that. But, murder is on-point, so I'll stick with that. It's not that your average guy SUPPORTS it.. its that they don't have any tools to stop it, nonsenseand are largely unaware of any of it to begin with. This goes back to laziness. Most people - your average person - doesn't learn this sort of thing. Because they are too busy getting their asses kicked all day at work. Then they come home, deal with the kids, bills, or whatever OTHER problems they have in life, and when they get a few spare moments, the last thing they want to do is delve into geopolitics and the problems of the world too. They want to fucking relax, and take it easy for a few moments, before they go back out there the next and wage their personal war against life all over again. That is the story of being human, and its why we don't want to have to bust our ass raising animals, or grinding grain too. After 9/11, I got into a discussion with an American that started off very heated because I had gently implied that, frankly, it should have been expected the States' had it coming. He didn't like that. Went on for a moment about 3000 people dead and so on, trying to simultaneously intimidate me, play on my compassion, and shame me. I didn't budge. I simply responded "I feel deeply for those that died in New York. But I also feel deeply for the people Clinton killed Frandala. The killings in Frandala were one of the reasons bin Laden cited for 9/11. He wanted revenge. Now you guys want revenge, and I understand that too. But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, won't you see?" He had never heard of Frandala. Didn't know of the bombing, at all. And when I explained it to him, and explained that it was, in fact, a cited reason for the 9/11, I could tell that he was ashamed for not knowing it sooner. Now, you can tow the "party line" about education being indoctrination, and to the extent that you mean "learned what they were taught" you'd be right. But to the extent that one can be SELF educated. To the extent that one can possess FACTS, this type of education is sorely needed. And, in my view, if anything is going to raise us on the whole out of that glorified ape strata, it is going to be possessing facts, having critical thinking skills, and knowing how to balance that with poetic license. I.e. developing as much of the uniquely human traits as possible.
They also pointedly ignore the fact that their own families WILL face that kind of deprivation and violence as an unavoidable natural consequence of living in a purely self-serving fantasy world.
That may be, but it still does no good for anyone to wish societal collapse. Not to mention, humans faced those consequences BEFORE our society, in previous societies, and indeed before civilization itself. So I find the idea that all of the problems humanity faces can be squarely placed at the feet of modern industrialism alone dubious. There are barbarous marauders, thieves, rapists and all sorts of shit well before any of this modern nonsense came around. And I'd point out, that against a 25 year old drunk/beserking Viking, a little old lady has no chance. But a little old lady with a shotgun is a credible threat against a methed up biker. So, keep in mind that when you get rid of industrialism, you give the advantage to the youngest, and the largest. And, I would add, that if people, and their leaders today truly ARE as bloodthirsty as you imagine? Then that only drives my point home more. Because before the collapse, it would stand to reason that they will fire off the nukes.
The thing we call civilization now faces an existential crisis, but as long as it serves their self interest our Middle and Ruling Classes will welcome any opportunity to indulge in pathological denial.
I understand that civilization is the core problem. I'm not in denial about that. The question is, what do we do about it? People will not be willing to scale down civilization. And even if we could get a society to unilaterally try, they would simply become prey to their enemies who have maintained industrial weaponry. Sometimes, when you go down the wrong road.. the shortest way back is forward.
Sorry, I know this extended rant of mine will annoy a few people, amuse a few others, but change not one fucking thing in the real world. Sometimes one must vent.
Indeed. This is why I try to choose optimism. It still won't change a fucking thing, but it feels better, and makes you more popular at parties.