"Like it or not, we need the continued existence of others, who may be seen as revolting, barbaric or just alien, to know who we are."
What a crock. People become barbaric when their own personal situation and environment has become barbaric. Drought and poverty are the leading causes for people to become barbaric--not the lack of anything to compare oneself to. And if it's not as extreme as that--that he's implying we need people to compare ourselves to to maintain self worth, there are levels. You can't just say shit like that. It's one thing to watch failed America Idol auditions to makes oneself feel better about oneself, it's another to regard said people as alien or disgusting barbarians. Irony is, the people who judge cultures or personalities in such an extreme way are the worst of us themselves (and if all xenophobes were all to change their ways tomorrow, I wouldn't suddenly lose my ability to identify anti-social behavior, just as other people wouldn't lose the ability to re-embrace it).
His point is that the external threat of barbarians or whatever is what held together civilizations like Rome. They had an external threat to rally together against. Here in the US the period after 9/11 was very similar, or after Pearl Harbor, etc etc.
"The second implication is that there is no hope for a universal human society. “The notion of cosmopolitanism, the idea that the people of the world will come to feel a primary connection to the human race, is a pipe dream,” Moffett says."
One of the questions I ask to new-found friends to get to know them better is: "How do you feel about the Borg? If there was such a central system would you agree to be hooked up?"
I don't think primary connection to the human race is a pipe dream, nor is it a bad thing. But we have to invent technologies for people to experience/understand other people's thoughts.
It's an interesting question. Personally I feel it depends if there's a trial period and easy separation. If your sales pitch is "Try it and it's so awesome you'll want to keep doing it" that's a lot more compelling (assuming non-addictive) than "resistance is futile".
I would be down for ghost in the shell merging with select individuals. But the borg feels like... just dying pointlessly. It’s like you’re assuming that you’re joining a greater purpose simply because there’s more people in it than you yourself. It’s up there for least compelling ideologies.
Moffett is wrong. If we can have 1-2 billion people rally behind a single religion we can have a cosmopolitan society. The question is how do we divide up things so people feel that they are getting their fair share... without destroying the planet.
There are colonization tendencies in every living being, I think. Ants are not the only one. A wolf pack hangs together, so do a bunch of chimpanzees and zebras. The difference is in the way this tendency is expressed and the author fails to draw comparisons appropriately.
[+] [-] cairo_x|6 years ago|reply
What a crock. People become barbaric when their own personal situation and environment has become barbaric. Drought and poverty are the leading causes for people to become barbaric--not the lack of anything to compare oneself to. And if it's not as extreme as that--that he's implying we need people to compare ourselves to to maintain self worth, there are levels. You can't just say shit like that. It's one thing to watch failed America Idol auditions to makes oneself feel better about oneself, it's another to regard said people as alien or disgusting barbarians. Irony is, the people who judge cultures or personalities in such an extreme way are the worst of us themselves (and if all xenophobes were all to change their ways tomorrow, I wouldn't suddenly lose my ability to identify anti-social behavior, just as other people wouldn't lose the ability to re-embrace it).
[+] [-] pvg|6 years ago|reply
You are very likely misreading the line to say something it isn't saying. It isn't about 'actual' barbarism.
[+] [-] erobbins|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Jun8|6 years ago|reply
One of the questions I ask to new-found friends to get to know them better is: "How do you feel about the Borg? If there was such a central system would you agree to be hooked up?"
I don't think primary connection to the human race is a pipe dream, nor is it a bad thing. But we have to invent technologies for people to experience/understand other people's thoughts.
[+] [-] ALittleLight|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] b_tterc_p|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] devoply|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vipref|6 years ago|reply
There are colonization tendencies in every living being, I think. Ants are not the only one. A wolf pack hangs together, so do a bunch of chimpanzees and zebras. The difference is in the way this tendency is expressed and the author fails to draw comparisons appropriately.
Just my opinion!
[+] [-] unknown|6 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] PavlikPaja|6 years ago|reply