RAH - Government spends MONEY on "communities" that MONEY has made redundant

Quote from article: "'It takes a village to raise a child'. But in today's overdeveloped world, where status is gained either through jobs or money, and where community bonds have grown ever weaker, the notion of the backup 'village' has become irrelevant".

This, I believe, is of central importance, something we need to come back to and concentrate on, and not allow ourselves to be distracted from.

Human nature (our feelings and behaviour) evolved over millions of years and became pretty much what it is today long before the advent of civilization, when we were living in extended family groups of probably no more than a few dozen individuals, struggling for survival and advantage in the natural environment - which included other, rival, groups of humans.

With the development of civilization a fundamental (but even by social scientists, little appreciated) change occurred: increasingly, the struggle for survival and advantage transferred from the "natural environment" to an artificial "socio-economic environment". Initially it was aristocracy and priesthood which made this transition, leaving the peasants to struggle with the natural environment, while they jostled for advantage in the socio-economic environment. In the modern world, however, we ALL effectively live, and struggle for advantage, in the "socio-economic environment".

An individual needs POWER to exploit the environment to his own advantage. Originally, in the natural environment, this boiled down to physical strength, intelligence (i.e. strong mental faculties), and the ability to cooperate with (or direct or dominate) other members of one's family group (and later, other family groups as well, giving rise to chieftains and kings).

In the socio-economic environment of the modern world, by far the most important and versatile form of power is MONEY. You may (or may not) need physical strength, intelligence and the ability of cooperate with (direct or dominate) others, in order to get it, but once you have it, that's all you NEED (not LOVE, as John Lennon would have us believe).

In the socio-economic environment of the modern world, except as children, we are no longer dependent on family and community (for which human nature evolved!), but on the power of MONEY, and if we don't have our own, the state will step in and provide it for us.

The potential for power to corrupt is well known. MONEY is the most versatile form of POWER, and, in the hands of humans still largely dominated by their animal nature and behaviour, is driving us towards oblivion. It has destroyed (by making redundant) family and community, and is causing us to plunder and spoil the natural environment on which ultimately everything depends.

MONEY: Humanity's worst invention? http://www.spaceship-earth.org/PoS/Our_worst_invention.htm

2nd Post

Society is in this mess because of the way it has developed, with ever more importance being placed on the power of MONEY, to the detriment (virtual disappearance) of extended family and community. This is the ROOT CAUSE of the problem. Solving it requires RADICAL changes to the forces we allow to shape society (i.e. the socio-economic environment).

At the moment, these forces are rooted in our animal nature and behaviour, which puts POWER (not just, but especially in the form of MONEY) above all else, allowing it to dominate everything. It is also the reason we are plundering our planet and disrupting its climate, as if there were no tomorrow . . .

We are not fallen angels, but animals, Earth's "Greatest Ape", which uses its large brain and prodigious intelligence mainly in maintaining (rationalizing and justifying) a self-serving, dumb-animal and illusionary view of itself and the socio-economic environment in which it lives.

Why to some people carry knives or guns? Because they are a form of power (of acquiring "respect" and social status). If they had MONEY, they would probably (although not necessarily) be content with that form of POWER. Why does the British government want to up-grade its nuclear weapons? Not least, because they are a form of power (of acquiring "respect" and status on the world stage).

Whether on a south London estate or the Palace of Westminster, we are just apes, driven by our animal nature and the desire for POWER, respect and status.

My Homepage: http://www.spaceship-earth.org

To: Guardian CiF Re: Government spends MONEY on communities" that MONEY has made redundant Date: Friday 16 February 07"

In response to the Guardian article, "This isn't about guns" by Joseph Harker, on the recent spate of gun crime in South London. Link to article and thread at The Guardian. Quote from article: "'It takes a village to raise a child'. But in today's overdeveloped world, where status is gained either through jobs or money, and where community bonds have grown ever weaker, the notion of the backup 'village' has become irrelevant". This, I believe, is of central importance, something we need to come back to and concentrate on, and not allow ourselves to be distracted from. Human nature (our feelings and behaviour) evolved over millions of years and became pretty much what it is today long before the advent of civilization, when we were living in extended family groups of probably no more than a few dozen individuals, struggling for survival and advantage in the natural environment - which included other, rival, groups of humans. With the development of civilization a fundamental (but even by social scientists, little appreciated) change occurred: increasingly, the struggle for survival and advantage transferred from the "natural environment" to an artificial "socio-economic environment". Initially it was aristocracy and priesthood which made this transition, leaving the peasants to struggle with the natural environment, while they jostled for advantage in the socio-economic environment. In the modern world, however, we ALL effectively live, and struggle for advantage, in the "socio-economic environment". An individual needs POWER to exploit the environment to his own advantage. Originally, in the natural environment, this boiled down to physical strength, intelligence (i.e. strong mental faculties), and the ability to cooperate with (or direct or dominate) other members of one's family group (and later, other family groups as well, giving rise to chieftains and kings). In the socio-economic environment of the modern world, by far the most important and versatile form of power is MONEY. You may (or may not) need physical strength, intelligence and the ability of cooperate with (direct or dominate) others, in order to get it, but once you have it, that's all you NEED (not LOVE, as John Lennon would have us believe). In the socio-economic environment of the modern world, except as children, we are no longer dependent on family and community (for which human nature evolved!), but on the power of MONEY, and if we don't have our own, the state will step in and provide it for us. The potential for power to corrupt is well known. MONEY is the most versatile form of POWER, and, in the hands of humans still largely dominated by their animal nature and behaviour, is driving us towards oblivion. It has destroyed (by making redundant) family and community, and is causing us to plunder and spoil the natural environment on which ultimately everything depends. MONEY: Humanity's worst invention? http://www.spaceship-earth.org/PoS/Our_worst_invention.htm 2nd Post Society is in this mess because of the way it has developed, with ever more importance being placed on the power of MONEY, to the detriment (virtual disappearance) of extended family and community. This is the ROOT CAUSE of the problem. Solving it requires RADICAL changes to the forces we allow to shape society (i.e. the socio-economic environment). At the moment, these forces are rooted in our animal nature and behaviour, which puts POWER (not just, but especially in the form of MONEY) above all else, allowing it to dominate everything. It is also the reason we are plundering our planet and disrupting its climate, as if there were no tomorrow . . . We are not fallen angels, but animals, Earth's "Greatest Ape", which uses its large brain and prodigious intelligence mainly in maintaining (rationalizing and justifying) a self-serving, dumb-animal and illusionary view of itself and the socio-economic environment in which it lives. Why to some people carry knives or guns? Because they are a form of power (of acquiring "respect" and social status). If they had MONEY, they would probably (although not necessarily) be content with that form of POWER. Why does the British government want to up-grade its nuclear weapons? Not least, because they are a form of power (of acquiring "respect" and status on the world stage). Whether on a south London estate or the Palace of Westminster, we are just apes, driven by our animal nature and the desire for POWER, respect and status. My Homepage: http://www.spaceship-earth.org