CIVILIZATION

[jim turner]

His, among the best of all good families,
well-to-do; Sundays seen, black-groomed, in church.
Cried little as a child and climbed to bed,
without protest, when told. Say that obedient
and believing best describe the growing lad.
Top of the list, prep school and university;
studied well–in Romance languages and art
excelled. Then. Then his father’s generation
agreed on war, and, told its cause was just
went off to learn strange skills in weaponry
and on the killing fields outdo the rest
in slaughtering his lesser fellow men.
At last, with early hints of silver in his locks,
came home, with medals and with honor, in a box.

Jim 6/21/09

Is "civilization" an oxymoron?

[happytrails]

Civilization isn't very civilized. I was looking for the quote by Jack Douglas about how someone said something about the lack of civilization among the Eskimos. And he said something about them being the most civil people he ever met. They didn't have all the newest appliances or the modern amenities, but they treated everyone with more than courtesy, it was a kind of gentle kindness that he saw in them. I wish I could find it. He said it so much better than I ever could.

[saw]

modern warfare is kids playing video games....drones, bombs, rockets that never see the damage they do.....technology separates the soldier from his conscience.....nice job expressing the madness of war, jim

i like Ghandi's response after Churchill gave him a proud tour of London and was asked, Well what do think of of western civilization ?

Ghandi replied, I think it would be a good idea.....