Watching the "news" from Afghanistan on a German television channel the other night, the reporter drew attention to the problems the troops were facing there, in a "rather undeveloped civilization". So what the heck was I to understand with what he was saying? What is understood by "Civilization"?
Wikipedia: Civilization is a sometimes controversial term which has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to human cultures which are complex in terms of technology, science, politics and division of labour. Such civilizations are generally urbanized. In classical contexts civilized peoples were called this in contrast to "barbarian" peoples, while in modern contexts civilized peoples have been contrasted to "primitive" peoples.
WordWeb: Civilization is a “Society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)”
Henry Miller: “Civilization is drugs, alcohol, engines of war, prostitution, machines and machine slaves, low wages, bad food, bad taste, prisons, reformatories, lunatic asylums, divorce, perversion, brutal sports, suicides, infanticide, cinema, quackery, demagogy, strikes, lockouts, revolutions, putsches, colonization, electric chairs, guillotines, sabotage, floods, famine, disease, gangsters, money barons, horse racing, fashion shows, poodle dogs, chow dogs, Siamese cats, condoms, pessaries, syphilis, gonorrhea, insanity, neuroses, etc., etc.”
Hmmmm?... : Somehow, to me, it seems rather evident, that Henry Miller is the one who has jotted down the best definition of civilization. I mean, if you take an objective look at what the "pinnacle of western civilization" today does to, and with, the –in their opinion- not so civilized parts of the world, and, indeed also with mankind in their own “society in an advanced state of social development”, our civilized part of the world can hardly be labeled anything but plain uncivilized?... barbarian peoples kowtowing to their lunatic leaders?
Hmmmm?...: Well… yes… in my opinion, Henry Miller did indeed have the very right definition on the decadency named "civilization". And!... I bet my last wooden nickel that the people in all parts of the world, who are constantly screwed and raped by our “civilization”, will agree with him 100%... and so do I… but of course… that’s because I’m a "barbarian" in accordance with Wikipedia.
