Sunday, February 10, 2013
A Big Hole In the Ground
Yesterday, I listened to 5 hours of citizen testimony against what will probably be the largest open-pit iron-ore mine in the world today. It was some of the best radio I've heard in a long time. The hundreds of citizens that stood up and had the courage to speak with heartfelt conviction against this travesty deserve to be honored in some way. Also, after listening, it's clear to me that the citizens of Wisconsin must do everything within their power to make sure this mine does not see the light of day. If you've made it this far take a look at the Sierra Club's write up on the potential damage this mine would do to the Lake Superior watershed to see where I'm coming from. It's enough to make a guy want to....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
My eyes light up when I see the word civilization. However, I tend to spell it with a capital C because for me there is only one Civilization. Some think Civilization is too big a category thus meaningless. Others see it just as an abstraction. But Civilization is concret and real, having a function.
Years ago I was toying with the idea of Civilization and came up with the thought that if Civilization had a job description it would be 'social cohesioner'. Later I came up with the idea that Civilization abhors two things, complacency and isolation. At the time I was trying to explain the collapse of communism as a governing system. My idea about the two things Civilization abhors explained it. Communism collapsed because it had grown complacent and was remaining isolated from the globalizing world. As Civilization saw it the Soviet way of live, totalitarianism, was an obstacle and danger to its function, hence it being brushed aside in favour of liberal democracy.
airth10,
You wrote:"Later I came up with the idea that Civilization abhors two things, complacency and isolation."
Me: I agree. That's why it couldn't accept the Sioux making a living as hunterer gatherers. It thinks it has the only one right way to live.
You wrote: "As Civilization saw it the Soviet way of live, totalitarianism, was an obstacle and danger to its function, hence it being brushed aside in favour of liberal democracy.
Me: It should be noted that it didn't accept the Iroquois's democracy. But Benjamin Franklin used their ideas when helping construct the constitution. See Jack Weatherford's "Indian Givers."
http://www.amazon.com/Indian-Givers-Indians-Americas-Transformed/dp/0449904962
Curt,
"But Benjamin Franklin used their ideas when helping construct the constitution."
Thank you for the reminder. The UN Charter was also constructed on Indian Treaties.
I am not saying that Civilization is some paragon of virtue. It will cheat and steal to survive.
Post a Comment