Hi,
> Romans, Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, [...]. The economies of those societies were
> fueled by forceably stealing resources from neighboring peoples, enslaving
> them, and forcing the majority to attend to every whim of the
> minority.
Same thing applies here and now.
> They operated at a level of brutality unheard of in the modern
> world.
There have been few periods in history as brutal as the 20th century.
The genocide of the Armenians, the 1st World War, the 1918 flu
epidemic, the famines in Russia, the Holocaust, Stalin, the 2nd World
War, the enslavement of Eastern Europe, colonial wars, Vietnam, Pol
Pot, starvation in Africa, HIV/AIDS, Rwanda. Millions upon countless
millions of people, year after year, decade after decade, throughout the
century slaughtered, starved and allowed to die unecessarily of diseases
because they can't afford medicine because of the debts they owe to
us. We make the Inca look like country vicars, so we can wear cheap
trainers.
Just because we don't stand over them with whips and force them to build
pyramids, doesn't mean we treat them better than the Inca treated their
labourers. The 3rd world is enslaved by debt as effectively as if we
bought and sold them in a Dahomey marketplace.
---
Bob
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sunday, July 22, 2001, 11:44:17 PM, you wrote:
> At 09:29 AM 7/22/01 -0700, Shel wrote:
>>I was thinking about this statement while taking a shower:
>>
>> > 170 year old steam hoist encased in a poured
>> > concrete building with windows made of quartz, and realize it sat
>> > unattended for over a century and is still basically functional. But it
>> > also was a big waste of effort and resources to build it to last so long.
>>
>>You're looking at that with hindsight. It was built with the
>>techniques and technology of the time. I suspect the
>>designers and builders were not aware of the changes that
>>would take place. But yet, the building and equipment stands,
>>and they have given you some satisfaction and pleasure
>>(perhaps even some good photographs) and a sense of what
>>things were like in our past.
> I'm not sure that the people who paid to build the mines were planning to
> fund a tourist attraction for the 21st century, though through their
> largess they did. But some of the ruins are hazardous eye sores and sooner
> or later modern day folks will have to pay to clean them up.
>>I believe that preservation of the past, through buildings,
>>and the objects we use on a daily basis, whether currently
>>useful or obsolete, are an important part of our culture and
>>heritage. By making everything disposable, and planning on
>>obsolescence, what will remain of our culture, history, and
>>heritage in 100 or 200 years?
> I'm sure some stuff will survive for future generations to look at. Heck,
> I have all my Commodore 64 stuff boxed up in the basement ready to donate
> to posterity...
>>I was watching a show about ancient Rome, and there were some
>>scenes of buildings that were built in those days that are
>>still being used today. Pretty amazing. Can't imagine why
>>the Italians didn't just bulldoze 'em into the ground. The
>>world is filled with buildings that are 400 or 500 years old,
>>or older, some of which stand as reminders of the past and
>>others, while serving that purpose, are also being used today,
>>some in their original states and others having been
>>modernized and upgraded with contemporary amenities. I do not
>>see that as a waste of resources.
>>
>>Using your argument one can argue that the Inca and Mayan
>>temples and buildings were over built and were a waste of
>>resources. I don't think anyone who has been to Machu Pichu
>>would take that position.
> Romans, Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, and most other ancient societies
> enslaved huge numbers of people who where literally worked to death to
> build those extravagant monuments. The economies of those societies were
> fueled by forceably stealing resources from neighboring peoples, enslaving
> them, and forcing the majority to attend to every whim of the
> minority. They operated at a level of brutality unheard of in the modern
> world. The monuments and incredible buildings you see today were built at
> a phenomenal cost of human life and suffering. Waste of resources?
> Absolutely.
> (Stonehenge might be an exception.)
-
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