New Dark Ages

[cilla4progress]

Last edited Sun Feb 8, 2015, 02:29 PM - Edit history (1)

You know, there's no reason, speaking historically, that we could not enter/be entering a new Dark Ages. It isn't a given that humans are on an ever-increasing spiral towards humanity, progress, awareness.

There are obviously forces of regression among the populace around the world. This simply appears to be part of the human condition. Coming up in the 1960s-70s, I naively believed in the idealism that said that consciousness was raising, and that as it did, human rights, an awareness of the value of our physical environment, the safety net, was all evolving and could not be dragged backward.

With the perspective of age, I now see that as an epoch, a period, a stage. There are - and probably always will be - forces and periods pulling us back from progress.

[marym625]

1. K&R

Really good post.
Scary post.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. I guess maybe all of us "of a certain age"

went through this slow realization. However, I think I always assumed we weren't necessarily very far from the Dark Ages.

[CrispyQ]

3. I think there is an over confidence that our big brain will get us out of our big brain mess.

Climate change will be the real game changer.

[The_Commonist]

4. I think humanity peaked in the summer of 1969.

That moment when we put a human on the moon for the first time.
A couple of weeks later, the kids had that great music and love-fest in upstate New York.
It wasn't a perfect time, by any means, but we felt that we could meet our potential as a species.
Then it all went quickly downhill.
And we've been spiraling ever since, although there was a period in the 90's that wasn't so bad.

Those "forces of regression" are powerful and attractive to people who are frightened and not too bright.
And modernity is certainly frightening for many of those not too bright among us.
The power-mongers and pyramid-builders take full advantage of that to keep us separated and fighting amongst each other so that they can keep and expand their power.

The trick is - and the way to avoid a full-blown Dark Ages - is to realize that we are all in this together, and the power-mongers/pyramid-builders are really just a tiny few among us, and ultimately we have much more power over them than they do over us. Unfortunately, our civilization is propagandized from top to bottom, every moment of every day, and way too many people fall for it and believe it.

In the long run, I have hope. Maybe not for our current civilization, maybe not even for our species. We may be nothing more than a link and an inspiration for the future of some other sentient species, one that might get it right.

I vote for the kitty-kats...

[cilla4progress]

5. I love this.

Thank you so much. You put great perspective on it, and I agree with everything you say. Thank you for expanding on my post.

In a trivial way, I think perhaps the internet is a tool of the unity you are talking about. Thinking of Tahrir Sq. Also, climate change. Believe it or not, I am actually a cockeyed optimist. We know that so much of the power dynamic is us and them. Duality. Perhaps climate change will finally unite the world's populations - not the power-mongers and pyramid-builders as you say - but the actual people - against a destructive force, and serve to be our salvation (at least some of us), and not our demise.

If we don't kill the earth and ourselves with filth and waste, we sure seemed damned determined to do it with nuclear annihilation ..

[Persondem]

6. Actually the next Dark Age might start in the 2030's

Some details of what I mean can be found from reading one of my previous postings.


Also, I got wind of an MIT study that also picked the 2030's as a time of troubles.

[world wide wally]

7. During the 70's the skies looked brighter, the air was lighter and hope was in the air.

These days. thanks to oppressive conservatism (religious right, neocons, etc.) it does seem like we are living in the dark ages again.
Life was actually a lot more fun back then. I don't know if I can say "better" but definitely more fun.

[just us]

8. power lost

the 60s and 70s showed the cult of wealth that the people could be in charge. so they began a process of dumbing down the population and telling the trickle down lie. they robed the wealth of the working class and began to rewrite history.
the bubble the majority of the US is living in is plagued with lies that have been fed to an ignorant populous.

[FSogol]

9. How does this pessimistic attitude square with the fact that there is groundbreaking

medical and biochemical research going on? How about all of the energy saving features in products? How about advances in robotics and computers? How about 3-D printing in metal, bone, etc? How about solar cells becoming cost effective?

Too many Eeyores on DU.

[Cal33]

10. It seems that you could be one of those who sees some pretty flowers around you and immediately

think the world must be okay. You do not see the general trend - the larger picture.

[FSogol]

12. Maybe I made a mistake of joining Eeyore Underground?

Moan on.

[Cal33]

13. Thanks for mentioning "Eeyore Underground." This is the first time I've heard of it. As

individuals, it would be wise of us to accept the present situation and be as happy with
it as we can, since it is already here, and there's nothing we can do about what's
already here.

I'm a believer in the philosophy that when we come across a situation that we find
unpleasant, there are 3 ways we can deal with it. 1. Change it, if we can. 2. Get
away (physically remove oneself) from it, if we cannot change it. 3. Accept it whole-
heartedly, if we can neither change it nor get away from it.

I'm in no way convinced that the present political and economic situation forced upon
us by Corporate America cannot be changed. But this will take time.

In the meantime I should be as happy as I can, of course. This does not necessarily
mean that trying to change the present situation is out of the question. One can do
both at the same time.

[FSogol]

14. You are advocating a "both parties are the same" attitude. I totally reject that thinking.

Moaning and whining about "Corporate America" is no way to affect change. This entire thread is ridiculous and ignores the good work going on in this country and an attitude of justice and fairness prevalent in today's youth.

[Cal33]

15. No, I am not advocating "both parties are the same" attitude. I believe Hillary to be

more (notice the "more," I did not say "exactly&quot like what the Republicans espouse.
I am for the Progressive Democrats, like Warren, Sanders, Grayson...etc...

I'd vote for Hillary over any Republican, because I think she would help democracy
to die more slowly and allow the hopefully Progressive Democratic president after her to
have a chance at bringing back democracy to health again in our country.

If a Republican should win the presidency in 2016, I think it quite possible that our
nation would become an Oligarchy within 4 to 8 years. Goodbye Democracy! Not to
vote for Hillary in 2016 (should she win the Democratic nomination) would be helping
the Republicans to win. And THAT I don't intend to do.

[Cal33]

11. The whole of human history has been one of ups, followed by downs, over and over again. I

think one of the main causes of this is that some 2 to 4 percent of the general population is
made up of sociopaths or psychopaths -- just as 1% of us are schizophrenics, 5% are left-
handed....etc.... This is part of nature.

Sociopaths, because of their greed, ambition and lack of conscience, get to the top of the
financial and power ladder more easily most of the time, because they would lie, cheat, steal,
rob and kill-- things that the non-sociopath would hesitate about doing.

The general population will tolerate this until the point is reached when they feel that they
have nothing more to lose, when they realize they have nothing left. This is when steps
towards beginning a revolution are taken.

It always has been this way -- throughout history.

Just google "Psychopaths Rule The World." There are several hundred thousand articles for
you to read. It is an education.

Recently 4 or 5 genes have been identified that are found in psychopaths. But people with
psychopathic behavior have also been found who do not carry those genes. So, the present
theory is that both heredity and environmental influences play a role in the formation of
anti-social personality behavior.

Perhaps some day scientists will learn how to manipulate the genes so that no babies will be
born with them. In the meantime, mental health people can already start showing young
couples good parenting methods. Wouldn't it be nice to be living in the time when there
will be no more wars?

[HeiressofBickworth]

16. Not a spiral, but a pendulum

A pendulum that swings from one side to another, sometimes reaching an extreme point, but then pulled back towards the opposite side. Progress consists of managing the more negative aspects of the extremes.

It might be that I was a young adult in the 1960's, but I remember it as a time of great possibilities. Women's equal rights, civil rights, conservation efforts, opposition to unjust wars, and great technological advancement. I think that now we are swinging back from the excesses of the 1980's, the Me Generation, promoted by the Reagan presidency. I keep looking for a return of the altruism of the 60's.