Mark Peaty wrote:
> No Brent, what I AM saying is that they are GONE! Well and truly
> gooooorrrrrrnnnnnn!
But they lasted a lot longer than we have.
>
> We could get side tracked into all sorts of discussions about how each
> of the civilisations you named, waxed and waned more than once in the
> face of environmental changes and the inherent instability of feudal
> societies, but I haven't got the time [fascinating though it would be :-].
>
> My point is that, with all due respect to the late Douglas Adams, and I
> suppose to whoever it was who wrote the book of Daniel in the
> Judaeo-Xian Bible, the TRUE
> "Writing on the Wall" AKA God's last message to humankind, is five short
> words in plain-English:
>
> * Shape up or die out!
>
> What I say is if we really want to 'shape up' and survive, then
> compassion, democracy, ethics and scientific method are four essential
> ingredients without which our modern world will go the way of all those
> other civilisations your mentioned.
It will go the way of those other civilizations anyway because: a) it's dependent on energy from cheap oil and b) all civilizations rise and fall, none last forever.
Brent Meeker
Nations and empires flourish and decay,
By turns command, and in their turns obey.
--- Publius Ovidius Naso
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Received on Thu Mar 01 2007 - 22:26:27 PST