One popular stream of thought goes something like this-
“Civilization would collapse if everybody did that”
My answer is- let it go to hell. Those who do not benefit from something have no reason to care about it.
Civilization is not some magical entity which must be preserved at all cost. It’s existence is worthwhile only if it fulfills its purported function. Any civilization or social system which destroys the lives of many to enrich the few is a dysfunctional ponzi scheme. The continued existence of such a system has the same legitimacy as an imploding ponzi scheme.
All pre-industrial civilizations were ponzi schemes who existence was based on paucity or total lack of free information flow between most people. Those who revere old civilizations and their achievements are worshiping ponzi schemes which turned out badly for almost everyone involved. While reading about the history of various Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, meso-american eras might make you feel wordly, the quality of life for almost every person in that era makes the life of an average pet dog or cat in our era look good.
It was the industrial age which made civilizations less ponzi scheme like. Only in the late 1800s did the average person in some countries start having a life which was somewhat better than domestic animals- though a significant minority of people in western countries lived in relative poverty till after WW2.
Today we have the technology, conditions and opportunity to make civilization even less of a ponzi scheme. However doing so requires people to understand that civilization has no intrinsic right or reason to exist. Forms and versions which lean towards ponzi schemes(such as financialism, neoliberalism and neoconservatism) have to go along with their practitioners, priests and pimps.
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