History show: The cycle of civilization

D

Dangus

New member
I was watching a history series on the adult learning connection series on Iowa Public Television. I was impressed with the messages of the show even if it was poorly produced and had horrid music.

At the very end of the series they said something to the effect of:

Civilization goes in 3 stages. First, the founders lay down a framework, and work hard to secure that framework. Second, the next stage, people elaborate upon that achievement, fleshing out the society, but innovation declines and apathy and contentment set in. Third stage, costs skyrocket, maintainence of old systems becomes overwhelming, debt debt from past generations eats away at the prosperity of this final one. Taxes go up, military declines and morale plummets. Finally the civilization is defeated or collapses.

I wished more people would study history, it would make such a huge difference. We are living that third stage right now, and we haven't even lasted half as long as most. Only in modern society, that third stage can drag on a lot longer than in old ones, because war is harder, modern technology and communication can keep dying economies afloat longer, and increased media can keep people busy longer.

If only people would look at history, we could see the mistakes of the past and realize that this actually isn't all the different a world from then, as much as it looks different. They've already made the mistakes we are going to, and we could learn from them. Why do we, as a species, have to keep suffering the preventable when prevention would be so much easier....

History is the social equivalent of a condom, preventing the usual cause and effect, lol.

As for you parents out there, be very very wary if your kids are being taught history at school. You'll get this revisionist stuff. For instance, in history class in jr high, I was taught that WW2 was going really badly, and then the US showed up and just started destroying everyone. I know that's not true, and I also know why, we weren't ready for war. There is a reason the average US GI had a life expectancy of 23 hours, and there is a reason 7 GIs died for every one German killed(not counting surrenders and injuries, not total casualties, just killed. Ratio according to Gen. Patton in 1944). Also not taught is the fact that the US was only fighting 1/3 of the German army, and arguably the lesser portion of it, mostly the by then adult Hitler Youth divisions. You also never learn about tank commanders like Michael Wittmann, who killed over 400 enemy tanks and self propelled guns, destroyed in excess of 600 vehicles all together. Why did he do so well? Because his country gave him good equipment, training, and funding. Why do only the badguys get properly equipped?

Now, we sit here during peacetime, just like we sat in the 30s during peace time, and we have an increasingly deficient military. Will we go to war again and suffer losses like Omaha, or Casino? Will we go into battle with weapons 30 years old, sometimes older, like we did in WW2, Korea, and to some extent Vietnam?

I may just be focusing on the military here, but the point is, we aren't learning from history. It's happened again and again and again and we don't learn. Is there anything that can be done?

------------------
The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me

Compromising the right position only makes you more wrong.
Click to expand...
 
I've argued your point for a large number of years...

I'd quibble a bit on one point: The U.S. is the oldest democratic society/government anywhere. It is the longest-lived democratic republic.

An interesting book which can give a bit of insight about these societal changes we've seen here is "The Fourth Turning". I don't know the authors' names. It was available from Amazon.com; there are reviews, there. The trade paperback edition costs somewhere around $12, retail...

Regards, Art
 
Dangus, I think ignorance of everything must be at the basis of Leftists love of public education. This way they can keep the masses ignorant and submissive. When they campaign with scare tactics, the frightened people keep sending the wolves to Washington so we can be safe, cared for, and fed.

------------------
"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it:
except the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

The Second Amendment rights have not kept pace with the First.

"Freedom is given to the human conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility."
(Alexander Solzhenitzyn)
 
History must not be a popular subject with schools because of the fact that most history professors are strong conservatives...

In fact I've only ever met one that wasn't, and he wasn't very far left, but his history wasn't as accurate either.

History is by far the most important subject at school, people need to learn that. You can learn science, math, art, how to machine things, but if you don't learn history you won't have much of a gauge to determine right and wrong, or effectiveness and ineffectiveness. History is the social equivalent of the set of examples at the back of the math book.

------------------
The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me

Compromising the right position only makes you more wrong.
 
Public Education:

PJ O'Rourke once wrote that to label something as "Public" was to define it as filthy, dangerous, and insufficient; the paragon of this being the "Public Restroom"... ;)

------------------
"..but never ever Fear. Fear is for the enemy. Fear and Bullets."
10mm: It's not the size of the Dawg in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!
 
Is that the same PJ O'Rourke who wrote Give War a Chance?

------------------
The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me

Compromising the right position only makes you more wrong.
 
TAMARA!
I LOOOOVE PJ O'Rourke, the man is a genius, and a smarmy one at that. Ya gotta love a guy who's conservative, and smug about it.

Justin
 
That would be the same P.J. O'Rourke who said "Giving money and power to Government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

And it isn't public school - it's government school.

Would you expect a Catholic school pupil to question the Pope? Would you expect a Christian school pupil to question the Bible? Then why should you expect a government school pupil to question the government?

And to question the government requires a knowledge of history, which is why this is so poorly taught (thus tying these ramblings back into the original thread :) )
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>And to question the government requires a knowledge of history, which is why this is so poorly taught[/quote]

True enough. Any of you parents out there, I suggest you buy your kids some REAL history books. I'd be willing to start a list of history books on my website if people want to submit books that are more or less accurate..... not sure how I'd organize that, if into user reviews or what, but it might be a good idea. You know, a suggested reading section..

------------------
The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me

Compromising the right position only makes you more wrong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top