Well put although I value Keith's observations. I do however agree with your conclusion. One thing I would add is over emphasis on the external. Red meat to someone who see, hears, tastes and smells, in the sense of a life skill, is not the same as to a sedantary person. Using our "bodies as instruments" creates different nutritional needs and abilities to use what we take in. It isn't just about "exercise" but actual "technique" or skills at using our perceptions. Most American as perceptually ignorant except visually. Complex music is beyond them and the reason for complex music is unimportant to them. Modern music is not an "ear opener" but a "mind clogger" for these folks. (Even Keith has referred to music as "dead" finished in the history of world except for entertainment from the past.) Obviously I disagree but why? Is it possible that we percieve differently? Or that maybe our universes are not even the same? I have my differences with you Chris that I have felt were from culture perspectives. But only through having all of our faculties available to us can we be on the same "page" so to speak, as we discuss these issues. Otherwise we must do the homework to find a unified frame of reference before we can begin.
Hunter-Gatherers had such a specific universe that all inhabited that projecting generalities is easy. However, I would add that anyone who knows real "Hunter-Gatherers" knows that it is an inadaquate description of what they do. They are more akin to foresters who develop the woods than simple wanderers who just take what is available. They have elaborate strategies for the development of game and plant needs as well as medical strategies that are not unlike the sophisticated Japanese nutritional theories. So the two things I would add are 1. the body side of the equation and 2. that any stories about the past must be rigorous in their research before applicable theories can be useful. Ray Evans Harrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christoph Reuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 2:30 PM Subject: [Futurework] hunter-gatherers are obsolete (was Re: You are naive) > Keith Hudson wrote: > > Every single lifeform acts to preserve its genetic code more than anything > > else. In primate societies, rank order is the main device that has evolved > > for the selection of sexual partners. It's as basic and important as that. > > Keith's obsession with the stone age reminds me of an "argument" against > vegetarianism that one hears occasionally: "The hunter-gatherers weren't > vegetarians, so it's natural to eat meat, so we shouldn't be vegetarians > either." This ignores that the hunter-gatherers ate meat not out of > choice, but because they didN'T have a choice (if they wanted to survive). > It also ignores all the changes in the production&processing of meat that > occurred since the stone age, and the environmental & health implications > of these vast changes (e.g. erosion and water pollution from animal > factories, overfishing, differences in content of fat & hormones between > factory-farming meat and wild animal meat), as well as the societal > changes (sedentary lifestyle, occupational&enviro exposures leading > to obesity and cancers when combined with eating factory-farming meat). > > The result of these vast changes is that the stone-age proponents' > conclusion is simply wrong -- what was right in the stone age is > no longer right today -- today it's better to do the opposite: > Not only can we afford the "luxury" of a nourishing & diverse vegetable diet, > but it has even become the only sustainable diet. > > Similarly, Keith's mantra that "free" trade and societal darwinism must > be good because the hunter-gatherers did it, ignores the vast changes > that have happened since the stone age, thus coming to the wrong conclusion. > Not only can we afford the "luxury" of culture and altruistic cooperation, > but it has even become the only sustainable way of life. Because the > "dog eat dog" rat-race to the bottom leads just there. > > So it's time to get over the stone age before we're back there! > > Chris > > > PS: To be consistent, Keith should stop using a computer -- after all, the > hunter-gatherers didn't use computers either, so using them must be wrong. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword > "igve". > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
