civilization is its infrastructure

Those who think that the government is evil (you know who you are) miss the point that
quite clearly that civilization is it’s infrastructure. Now some may say, civilization exist with its writing
or philosophy or its engineering, but the fact is civilization exist within the infrastructure it builds.
A look at history makes this clear, look at the list of “civilizations” we have.
Egypt is the poster child of civilizations and what did Egypt do that makes it a
civilization? It is the first civilization that has a strong government organization.
For 2 thousand years, Egypt had a strong government. It’s system was a dictatorship with
the Pharaoh owning everything. this is in essence is a government owns everything system.
But look at the infrastructure. The Egyptians were able to build massive engineering projects
and that takes a very strong infrastructure. The people were well protected and that takes an
army, there were vast public works projects which again takes an infrastructure. By the government
taking care of the infrastructure, the people were free to engage in their main activities, which for
the most part was farming. But you had the upper structure of civilization which is art, writing,
philosophy and religion among other things. A look at other civilizations show us the same thing.
Rome had a very strong infrastructure which allowed it to create the strongest civilization
the world had ever seen. Every single lasting civilization you care to talk about, the Chinese, the Greeks,
the Muslims in Spain and India, the English, the French, all had a very strong infrastructures.
Now what about the Mongols? they had the largest civilization in the world. But it didn’t last very long
because they didn’t build an infrastructure to support their civilization.

Think of it as a ship. You have to build a sailing ship big enough to support the numbers of passengers you are taking.
The ship is the infrastructure.
If you don’t have a big enough ship for the number of passengers, the ship tips over and most likely sinks.
IF we don’t build a big enough infrastructure for the number of passengers we have, the ship, the state tips over.
So California has 36 million people, you have to build a big enough infrastructure to handle 36 million people.
The failure to do so will cause the collapse of the state of California. To wit, the state has cut vital services to
millions, these cuts damages the infrastructure of California, enough damages and the state will tip over.

So for those who favor small government and low or no taxes, you are engaging in nothing less than destroying
the American civilization. Nothing more, nothing less. health care is part of the infrastructure of america, as
is the roads, the schools, the bridges, the police. The infrastructure is to protect the health, welfare, safety of Americans.
To deny the infrastructure to Americans is to actively deny Americans their health, welfare and safety.
To demand to reduce taxes to save yourself some money is nothing more than a declaration of your hatred of the American civilization.
It is that simple. For the American civilization depends on its infrastructure to survive and reducing taxes reduces
the infrastructure which if not corrected will end our civilization.

Kropotkin

K, good article about civilization’s infrastructure.

I like to think of Civilization with a capital “C” because to my mind there is only one Civilization. However, Civilization can be compartmentalized and divided into its different aspects so as to better understand it. My feeling is that the existence of past civilizations has been for the build-up to today’s Civilization. Today’s Civilization is a culmination of the past. If we have a clash of civilizations occurring today, then it really of a dysfunctional family know as Civilization acting up or going through the motions.

I have asked, if Civilization had a job description what would it be? My answer was, social cohesioner. For example, with globalization Civilization has been working to unite the world under one system or infrastructure. We should also think as Civilization spreading a civility throughout the world, creating a common way of conduct and how ultimately humankind ought to behave.

Aren’t you assuming that in order to have infrastructure you need big government? I assume by your namesake that you know that Socialism and Capitalism aren’t the only options. Funny that you use Egypt and Rome as an example that government is not evil. If anything the English did so well due to exploitation and state capitalism, which funded that infrastructure. I am talking about conquering lands, i.e India, creating the railways etc…