The idea that there is something better beyond civilization
might be incomprehensible to most.
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| Mesopotamia is thought to be the cradle of civilization. |
Civilization arose about 10 000 years ago, being midwifed by
our first agricultural revolution, as people were then able to settle in groups
and over time civilization became the
predominant and accepted manner through which people related.
Any objective observer taking even a cursory view of human
society could see that what we have and what we call “civilization” is not
working.
Fewer than 100 people have more wealth than half those on
earth; that is about 3.5 billion people – the inequality that civilization has
wrought is inexcusable.
Tribalism was supplanted by civilization, which for many is
the epitome of how society should orchestrate its affairs, but it is
hierarchical, while tribalism operates entirely differently.
Although obviously having a leader, a tribe favours no one,
all are equal, and all are cared for from cradle to grave with values contrasting
markedly with a hierarchical civilisation.
Some two million years ago homos-erectus evolved in Africa
and from then until about the time of that first agricultural revolution, the
predecessor of modern-man lived in tribes.
The shift some 10 000 years ago from tribal living to the
much celebrated civilised living is not of itself the root of our present
difficulties, rather it was the emergence of hierarchy and through that
divisions among people and stratification of classes.
The hierarchical impetus brought on by civilization resulted
in an autocracy peddled to the people as democracy, but it was simply an
administrative process that enriched a few, created alarming inequality and left
most of humanity with simple triviality,
frivolity and frequently, damnable poverty.
Tribalism of ages past would obviously not work today, but
some modern version adopted whenever and wherever possible to existing
practices would provide some defence against the gluttonous behaviour and
individualism of contemporary living.
Tribal members are of equal importance and with group
survival depending upon individual wellbeing, everyone is cared for and treated
with equal respect and the subsequent flow-on manifests itself in broad
reverence for the tribe itself.
Those who choose to level the accusation of “utopianism” at
the tribalism idea need to first think about the utopian drive of those who
claim civilization to be the epitome of humanity.
Cheering the loudest for civilization are mostly those who
by chance and exploitation are at the pointy end of society and stand with
those who have ravaged earth’s riches, eating into the capital and leaving
little for their progeny.
Civilization has produced some wondrous things; wonderful
ideas, processes and products that have extended our lives, but equally
destructive devices and ideas.
Tribalism is about creating resilient, resourceful and
tightknit neighourhoods that share and have no need to plunder the earth’s
finite capital.
