Thursday, August 14, 2008

In the mind of a doomer

OK..Maybe I don't carry around a sandwich board with "the end is near" written on it, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for folks such as this.

Let's consider for a moment the long history of Homo Sapiens. In truth, we have been around for a bit now. Consider for example the cities that have been around for a bit. The latecomer Ningbo started in 4800 BCE or Eridu which was founded in 5400 BC or the current prizewinner Jericho at 9000 BCE.

So at best, we have maybe 11,000 years of history behind us. Not really that much in the grand scheme of things. If you listen to the serious archeologists, the species has been around for around 200,000 years (give or take).

In that period of time at best, >99% of human history has been "sub-optimal". Probably all but 1000 years total the main activity of the species has been dodging bad shit. That is how we are wired. When things are running smoothly, it just kinda confuses us.

So, in the last 50 years, we in the West have been living lives that ancient kings would have found wonderful. Now there are some folks that blithely go along without thinking about this incredible bounty. It is their birthright, it is the wages of a good life and the good fortune of being Americans.

And then there are us doomers. We are much more in tune with our ancient ancestors. We know shit shouldn't run smoothly. If we were around in the old days, we would realize that if we did manage to pull down a mammoth, we had better keep a eye peeled out for wolves and lions who would have been more than willing to kick our ass and take our food, and maybe include us in the "food" category in the process.

The other folks are the ones who said "oh, don't worry about the wolves", and now they have gotten away with it a couple of times. For several hunts they have hauled home the entire kill. Kids are fed. Wife is getting fat. They are lashing on another stone spearhead onto their spearshaft and talking trash about what hunt-studs they are.

I wonder where the wolves are?

4 comments:

Survival Chick said...

Interesting..

Shy Wolf said...

Very interesting question, Deg- the wolves are out there, waiting just outside the fire light. We know them by their lack of action and/or activity in preparing, knowing there will be many, many sheep just waiting to be picked from the flock. They, too, are sharpening their arrowheads now on the streets of our cities, practicing on the unwary, the easy prey on the outter fringes of the herd.
It will be the Sheepdogs who'll have the ultimate responsibility of preparing for and protecting the sheep. So keep those arrowheads sharp, your blade handy and both eyes open- and don't neglect those eyes in the back of your head.

Mayberry said...

The wolves seem to congregate in Washington D.C......

Patricia said...

Hmmmm. Well said.

Mayberry, the jackals congregate in D.C., not the wolves...don't know where the wolves are, but they're out there.
HM