Is it possible to become too "civilized"?

Question

We in America are so d**n soft...we don't have the stomache to see things thru when it gets inconveiniant. The a-rabs slap us in the face and we forget the towers after a few years. We know Iran is plotting our demise, yet we don't confront them. Remember what happened to Rome when they didn't have the stomache to fight for themselves. Wise up, whimpy America, Neville Chamberlain was WRONG!

Answer 1

The Romans were civilized, but not too civilized.  Remember the gladiatorial games?  The Romans ran out of money to fund troops and were invaded.  That was why the Roman Empire fell, not because they became "soft".  Also, yes, we believe Iran is plotting to attack us, even if they have done nothing yet.  However, both the US and Iran know that, if Iran tries to blow us up with a nuclear weapon or anything like that, we'll know before hand and blow the **** out of them before they try to blow up us.  America is one of the few countries to EVER use the nuclear bomb, even if only twice.  Also, we cannot attack Iran simply because they are talking tough.  Do you beat every guy that insults or threatens you to a pulp?  I think not.  And don't you dare say that America has forgotten about 911.  Many people lost loved ones.  Every 911 that comes by, I give a moment of silence out of respect for them, and not because we do so during class on Sept. 11.  And what about the memorial at ground zero?  That means that America has forgotten alright.  For those who have forgotten, time goes on.  You have probably forgotten at least one travesty that occurs during your life time.  However, to answer your question, no, I do not believe that a civilization an become too civilized.  We have simply become ethical, a quality which you seem to lack, as well as intelligence.  People like you make me sick.  You are instigating that we send even more off our troops over-seas to decimate all life of the countries that has wronged us.  This is not the Middle Ages!  Many more people over there are innocent than those that are guilty.  We won't kill off an entire town simply because a part of that town is under enemy control.  I am shaking in fury at what your statement says.  I can hardly type correctly.  I hope that you see the err in your ways and stop acting like a total ignoramus, you ignorant hick.

Answer 2

The word "civilization" has a generally accepted definition, that is still subject to much interpretation. The word "civilized," unfortunately, is a word that has a very variable definition, and one that is often used to racist and/or political ends. In a professional or scientific setting, the word is all but meaningless.

With that in mind, consider your question. Your assumption is that Americans are too weak to face international dangers of terrorism and hostile nations, and that "civilized" behavior is what makes us weak. Conversely, we see your assumption that the "a-rabs" are uncivilized. Pretty much any anthropologist or expert on international politics would dismiss such a notion as false, or at the very least unimportant to the current situation.

So to answer your question, being civilized is something that has a very variable definition, something that is regularly defined by individuals, and something that is not accepted on a wide base. In that regard, professionals in the field don't find the term useful at all. The question "Is it possible to become too civilized" misses the point of your concerns entirely.

I think that if you actually were to find a reliable cross section of the American public, your frustration might subside a bit. But even if the majority of us are unwilling to fight, consider that our "civilization" has produced what is probably the most technologically superior military force in the history of the world.

And it's manned by an all-volunteer force of American citizens.

Answer 3

I think so...if we try to climb too far away from mother nature, we will end up falling down with that much more force.

However, I believe there is a "barrier" we may be able to break, if we become civilized enough to use technology to create a completely sustainable culture.  At the rate we're going though, that doesn't seem likely for a long time.

Answer 4

yawn

go get shot by d**k cheney

Answer 5

Iran is a little country,and NOT a danger to us. They won't hit us. And you

know why ? Because they know we have the power to level their whole country in a matter of minutes. 9 / 11, you say ? Most of them were Saudis...Have we attacked them ? Nope...

Answer 6

hey I love this land, and gave my legs for it in the war!

Answer 7

Please keep the racism to a minimum. To answer what I thought would be your question, yes, I do think it is possible to become too civilized, to lose touch with your roots and lose all ability to view the world with a different lens. But in answer to what your question actually was, NO! The Arabs, as you say, are not slapping the U.S. in the face. A small group of the Arabs hate America. Those people are just like YOU. You hate  the Arabs, a small group of Arabs hate you, and in fact, the only difference is there is a government holding you in check. I think that to wage war on Iran at this point in time would be a BAD political decision, but I am not going to comment on  the ethics. And the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire were NOT because they wouldn't defend themselves. Go read some Gibbon; it'll keep your mind off violence as well as enlightening you. Keep your political views, but express them in a better way.

Answer 8

And you have the "stomache"...

That's clear to everyone that you have never take a closer look to any war zone.

Too "civilized" in your words can be translated: better weapon, less disposition to kill.

Answer 9

Rome??!!!

(so, America is planing to take over the world, after all? With GW Bush as the New Caesar maybe?)

Well, shouldn't they have begun with Italy, then, as tradition would have required?

...And so history shall say: Unlike the Greeks, who excelled in intellectual and artistic endeavors, and the Romans, who achieved greatness in their military, political, and social institutions, the Americans have opened new horizons in the Art and Culture of fast food, TV shows and mass manipulation.

...Got nothing serious against USA, there have been - and sometimes still are - a lot of good and valuable things happening down there, not to mention that it is a very powerful nation indeed (military speaking), I just wish that people could keep the national self-esteem in some decent limits. Associating like this USA with the Roman empire is *not* inside any decent limits.