Saturday, January 31, 2009

Gifts of civilisation (or, how did we get here?)

In my Free-dragging Manifesto I talk about de-civilising activities aimed at mitigating civilisation's brutality. Composting plays a big part, as does the dispersal of cities (the word 'civilisation' comes from the Latin word civilis meaning centre or city). Derrick Jensen's massive two-volume tome Endgame: The Problem of Civilisation played a large role in the forming of my manifesto, especially his idea that any centre large enough to rely upon the importation of resources can never be sustainable. If you haven't got time to read Jensen's or my work then this little film, that I found today, is a micro-summary.



I close the screen and pick up David Graeber's book Possibilities, and the first thing I read is:
This leads to the interesting suggestion that, from the perspective of Medieval psychological theory, our entire civilization...is really a form of clinical depression. p67.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey dude. I don't get the tooth decay bit..what's the reason for it being on the top of your list? tooth decay can be genetic as well. I suppose the sugar and tobacco trade has something to do with it..but also, lets not forget that it's not that hard to keep on top of dental health..floss and brush and have a yearly checkup (that doesn't even cost that much even if you're not covered by health insurance)..and you're right. If buying dental floss and toothpaste are your problems, I'm sure there are some natural ways to keep your teeth in check too. Charlie

Permapoesis said...

hi charlie, thanks.

it's not my list, i found this film on YouTube. i suppose the filmmaker's saying that a high-sugar diet - almost every packaged supermarket food product is laced with refined sugars – has expanded the dental industry, yet another growth industry of civilisation based on producing toxicological waste and pharmaceuticals.

We're starting to use bicarb soda to clean our teeth and do the dishes. We can buy it in small compostable cardboard boxes. Apple-cider vinegar is also a good general household cleaner, and i've heard you can make a toothpaste with the two. We can get apple-cider vinegar using our own container at the local health food store. Apparently some traditional communities used charcoal to clean their teeth, but I'd have to check that.

Permapoesis said...

oh, and of course neem.