I will say that this thread, philosophical musings, is becoming my favorite just ahead of the recruiting thread.
Taos
I'll play but not by your rules.
300 million US citizens, 60 million armed with 200 million guns but only 20,000 gun homicides a year, round numbers. Good odds although I realize I am leaving out a lot of other crimes, gun and non gun related. I still feel very safe. So how civilized, strong or weak, are we? How do you define civilized? What is the line for strong or weak?
We have state highway patrolman, county sheriffs and city police and that does not include Feds like the FBI to keep us protected. I am too lazy to look up how many but they are far outnumbered and we seem to do alright.
That being said I hope you are not basing your opinion on the state of mankind on Katrina. You saw what the media wanted you to see. I do not know where you got the idea that most of the public service workers abandoned their post or the people. There were many public servants doing their job during and after the storm but they did not seek out or get the press. A hunting buddy is a wildlife and fisheries officer. Two neighbors are cops. They have some scary and sad stories but most were about helping and receiving help in some surprising ways.
You may be able to pull up the old thread but what I saw was completely different. I pulled my neighbor out, he cut up the trees in my driveway. One family had a generator and they cooked and let us sleep at their air conditioned home. We formed our own mail service, trash detail and security force. We did not need the security force. We came together and helped each other. Civilization at its best. I try to donate plasma and platelets every four weeks. Neighbor helping neighbor is what it is about. Not just in the bad times.
Gator may have a different story but I am in NOLA at least once a week. Those that depended on the government for handouts before Katrina did so afterward and continue to do so. Some lost all, some rebuilt, with a helping hand from other civilized people. For me, a transplant, I have a love- hate relationship with the City that Care Forgot. It is a great place whose people are it's own worst enemy.
I have been trying to come to grips with some things and happened to rediscover this little issue called reflection. Simply put it is the old saying things are as good or bad as you want them to be. You see in your fellow man your weaknesses and strengths. What do you reflect? I still honor my little Chinese grad teacher though, compare and contrast, look at things from different views.
Yes there are more of us and we are becoming more diverse which can cause friction. It also causes new ideas and new possibilities. Society and civilization is not a steady state, it flows and ebbs. We may not be at a peak but I do not think we are at a valley.
We have people that are hungry, sick and homeless, that is true.There a funds and agencies to give the needy a hand up but it has become a permanent crutch for too many.
If you are worried about NOLA come on down and spend some money, first drink is on me but you will have to pay for the rest. The summer is the slow season. If you are worried about civilized society there is plenty you can do probably in your own back yard. What do you see?
You forgot a generator, flashlights, batteries and fuel. My old plug in phone was a savior also.
