age of greed?

[randedge]

Originally posted by randedge
A larger population combined with lesser space and natural resources to go around, I would hypothesize, does have an effect on the psyche of that population.

That said, I would say yes, we get more and more greedy as time goes by and as we continue towards a larger population and even greater urban sprawl.

Now, some may argue that we are wealthier than ever before. Indeed, we have more money. So, in terms of materialistic things and creature comforts, we're better off than the generations that came before us. But in terms of natural resources, living space, and the environmental commons? I would say we are not.

There is less and less of the earth to go around and I think this is striking a chord with humanity in general. The closer we are packed together the higher the stress levels, which in turn makes us less likely to cooperate. We see each other more and more as potential competition as opposed to potential allies.

General thinking shifts from "We must help each other attain the highest levels of satisfaction in their existence" to "You have to get what is yours now or you won't get anything".


In my opinion, us humans will literally "Fuck ourselves into Extinction". There's a lot of us now and pretty soon, there will be too many.

To add to this, try travelling in a bigger city. The feeling of being in a higher level "competition" for existence is magnified.

More people = more competition for everything = more people who wouldn't give a fuck towards others. Numbers game.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by spikers


Jeff, I don't know where this came from, but in no way am I asking for pity, nor do I expect any. nor do I get where you are getting the idea that I am looking for any.

My wife and I are completely comfortable with our situation, thank you very much.

And if you would read all posts in the thread, you would see my explination for making the thread.

so in short, i am done trying to be nice to you, so STFU and GTFO.

Who's talking to you?

[spikerS]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
In this case, making a thread bitching about how "ohh times were better 20 years ago, now people are greedy, and I'm not, and that's why I'm a poorass...cuz I'm the only moral person around." This thread is dripping with self pity!

apparently you are.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by spikers


apparently you are.

Talking about you, not to you. Kinda like laughing at, but not with.

Care to tell me to GTFO and STFU again?

[spikerS]

STFU and GTFO.

as many times as needed.

now back on topic.

[Big Dangerous]

I'll make a buck, but I have ethics and a hardcore fucking conscience.. for everything. I've been known to pay back people who's lunch money I stole when I was in grade 2 and stuff like that.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by spikers
STFU and GTFO.

as many times as needed.

now back on topic.

Unfortunately for you, throwing a temper tantrum won't achieve anything here. You see, you're on what is known as a "message board" where people can post whatever they wish. This same principle that grants you the ability to post self pitying drivel is what grants me the ability to make fun of you for it.

GTFO and STFU wahh

[TomcoPDR]

Wow Jeff, that Avator is definitely not T-bag well, maybe titty-bag but not Tnation.

[szw]

back to the OP, I still think its all nonsense. What do you think was the driving force of all the other 'ages'? Was the industrial revolution fueled by LOVE?

Your comparison of farm live compared to now doesn't mean much. Compare farm life to farm life. Compare industry to industry.

What is all that crap about a handshake meaning something, etc? Was that from a commercial?

[01RedDX]

.

[doublepostwhore]

A+ thread Would read again.

[pinoyhero]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
Wow Jeff, that Avator is definitely not T-bag well, maybe titty-bag but not Tnation.

Hehe, yeah I did a double take for sure, pretty sure that's getting chopped

[randedge]

I just realized.

The other "ages" and eras of human civilization you cited were named, not by the people living during that time, but rather those who lived after that particular stage had collapsed and or ended. And as such, this is how they were named - in retrospect, by those trying to define what came before them.

It's akin to our personal lives where, you never usually try and give yourself a nickname a badge or some other moniker - but rather you EARN it (whether it is flattering one or not).

Think about it. You think the bronze age was named by the people living during that time? Probably not. People living then, I would suspect, were certainly constantly trying to find new and better ways to improve their tools and metallurgical technologies. Then, when a breakthrough was achieved which allowed people to process stronger metal such as iron, and all bronze tools were subsequently phased out or thrown to the antique heap, only then could a population have looked back and said "Man, I can't believe we used those weak ass bronze tools. That age when we still used bronze... which I hereby now would name THE Bronze Age was sooooo in the past."

Fast forward to other eras of human civilization: let's say something more recent like The Imperialistic Age.

The same deal applies. People then thought they were the shit. That they were the apex of civilization and that no other way of life and living is possible. Things just are.
Powerful nations back then thought it was their god-given right to spread to other parts of the globe and export their culture, religion, and way of life.

See: The White Man's burden.

But now what? We view it with less a less than flattering outlook. We think that, that generation was misguided and a tad racist. Why? Because we're not living in it right now.

Only when the whole system collapses are we able to take a step back and analyze what drove the whole machinery of economies and societies.


So that said, two things must happen before the era we are on right now gets named:

Number one is for the driving force behind the system in which we live in to be defined. For the question "What makes us tick?" to be answered.

I submit that "greed" is too general. Like what someone mentioned, what the heck do you think was the driving force behind the other eras? Do you think the empires of Britain or Spain really truly believed the religious and cultural spreading that they were doing? Maybe, but they sure raped and pillaged along the way.

After having recently seen The Corporation once again, I submit that what really truly sets us apart, what really has driven this global economy, are corporations and private enterprise.

More and more the powers of nations are being eroded. The global reach and influence that empires used to have are now in the possession of corporations and their conglomerates.



Number two, or the second step, in being dubbed a certain "age" is to have what makes us "tick" - as identified in the first part - to end.

It has to come all crashing down so that there is a marked boundary between us, and future ages to come. A new way of life has to arise, one that is distinct from the one prior. This new way of life must not be able to identify itself with us, otherwise it would just be another step in our "era's" evolution - as the next step instead of being something completely totally new.

Why is this?

Well, like I said, we accept the structure of society AS IS because we are willing participants. We fail to take a step back and analyze for sometimes it can take the magic out. It can become unflattering to be reduced to motives, actions, and reactions. We think we're just the shit, period - failing to recognize that human society is just a human construct. And that society is just a machinery comprised of human action drawn from human tendencies, human caprice, human opinion, and human choices - with the available exploitable natural resources as fuel.

For if it doesn't end, we'd just continue on viewing ourselves as the apex of civilization.

But when it does, I believe we'll be seen as the age of phantom economics.
Where there is a price on everything - from Ideas, to the airspace, to names (in terms of trade licencing)... everything!





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Refutations welcome.

[spikerS]

Wow, randrage, you put alot of thought into this, and I think I agree with most everything you said.

However, i don't know if you could say that "greed" is to broad of a term to use.

When I step back and view today's society, the number 1 thread in it is greed, weather it be monetary, or emotional.

Perhaps possibly greed may not be the right "word", and maybe another term might fit better.

But in this global world, everyone tries to better themselves. First example of this that jumps to mind is Koyoto. who cares if this will work or not, countires like china and USA refuse to take part with the excuse of "this will hurt us too much", and then other countires follow suit and say well if he isn't neither am I.

I also agree that we don't have the ability to name our own age, and this time will be named by our children and grandchildren, I think if we were to all take that step back, we could at least influence it. While some people may take offence to a particular name, they are usually the worst culprits. But with attitudes like "who cares, am I ever going to see them again?". is it any wonder that this greed seems to be getting worse?

[Toms-SC]

Cliff notes plz