RE: agriculture and the global brain (was: The mistake of agriculture)

From: Ramez Naam (mez@apexnano.com)
Date: Sat May 24 2003 - 11:24:22 MDT

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    From: Mike Lorrey [mailto:mlorrey@yahoo.com]
    > --- Ramez Naam <mez@apexnano.com> wrote:
    > > In some ways, agriculture was (at first) a net
    > > negative for the /individuals/ in agricultural societies, but a
    > > positive for the societies as meta-individuals.
    >
    > Exactly. However, it is still very much the same. Look at
    > most rugged individualists. They invariably either hunt,
    > fish, or otherwise seek to recreate the 'noble savage' in
    > their own lives as a means of renewing the individualist
    > spirit. Look at any sort of socialist. They are invariably
    > biased toward organized agriculture, toward social
    > specialization and putting each individual into the proper
    > brick form for their place in the wall. Any means of
    > celebrating or empowering the individual is seen as criminal,
    > immoral, wrong.

    Whoa. I said "at first". I don't think that's the case today. I
    think I have more freedom, more opportunity, and more potential as a
    member of the current global meta-culture (and particularly the USA)
    than I would as a hunter gatherer.

    Sure, as a member of a modern society there are freedoms I give up,
    but the freedoms I gain more than compensate.

    cheers,
    mez



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