Anybody here read Jared Diamond's Collapse?
Any parallels?
2007-05-03 09:29:33 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Anthropology
No. History doesn't predict the future.
Maybe humanity as a whole may be on the "moral" decline or maybe not.
But there is no indicator that the American (I assume you mean United States) civilization is any less stable or powerful than it ever has been, other than pessimistic alarmist like Jared Diamond trying to effect America's self confidence.
We have beautiful homes, we're overweight because food is so plentiful, we have manicured lawns and fast cars. Our children get an education (for free). We have decent healthcare, better than many countries in the world. We have all of the freedoms and rights that every other country wishes they had.
It is true, we don't have one common religious value system, but that is why the pilgrims came here on the Mayflower in the first place now wasn't?
I believe in America and some guy who's trying to pimp books for a living isn't going to change my mind.
2007-05-03 09:48:44 · answer #1 · answered by Athena 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, the United States is on the decline. No I did not read Jared Diamond's COLLAPSE, but I don't feel I have too. I can see the country going down in my own lifetime.
One of these days we're gonna get a telephone call on national radio and it will be both the White House and Congress telling the American people: Its been real nice, thanks a lot, and GOOD BYE! As they all fly away and abandon America.
The USA is becoming a third world nation and its being done on purpose!
2007-05-03 13:30:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jared Diamond did such a wonderful job on Guns Germs and Steel and he totally blew it on Collapse. There is a tendency to exaggerate. Since the time of the Pharoughs and before, people have said we are nearing the end of days and yet the days keep on keeping on. American civilization is not on the decline but is danger of imitating cultures that seem to be in real trouble, i.e Europe.
2007-05-03 12:39:36 · answer #3 · answered by JimZ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
United States civilization has been ascending since the 1960's when
they took prayer out of the public schools and the Supreme Court protected
the right of abortion in Roe vs Wade. However, it has been declining more
recently, with George W Bush's theocratic supreme court appointees
Roberts and Alito. There is also the recent assault on freedom of speech,
which got Don Imus fired.
The real problem though is Europe. The European Union has banned the
death penalty among all of their member states, and requires all new
EU member nations to do likewise.
2007-05-03 12:03:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Been on the decline since the 60's when they took prayer out of the public schools and the Supreme Court approved Roe vs Wade.
2007-05-03 09:33:09 · answer #5 · answered by tom4bucs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
decline is hard to judge. the thing that i believe is that we are in a downward phase of the world for now. education and new thought are not respected at all. people who have ideas that we do not like are ridiculed. the arts and music that we don't like we want abandoned. if our government does something we think we are always right...as well as every other country thinks their actions are correct. after sept. 11 amazingly people got irritated at the intellectuals who did not agree with the government. people wanted all people opposed to the president run out of this country. the same goes with every other country. we try to make all countries that we do not agree with into monsters. it is not all about religion but often we are seen in the world view as religious fundamentalists just like Muslim states are. the last paradigm shift in science was with Einstein. we hate new age..nakedness...breastfeeding. strange we all pull in and into ourselves and blame the poor for being poor. global warming may not be true...but...why is it so dangerous to have better fuels...more trees...better education...less pollution? we no longer want to advance we want to keep what we have. new thoughts are scary. so yes we are in decline for now. perhaps we will reach new age. a new shift. and maybe we won't be called the US by then but in the history of the world that is perhaps insignificant. it is important to us though.
2007-05-03 13:37:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely.
2007-05-03 09:33:38 · answer #7 · answered by black betty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't recognize any decline. Haven't read it.
Can you be more specific what you mean?
2007-05-03 11:13:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes
2007-05-03 09:37:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋