Who is more at fault for the fall of a civilization?

Question

Do you believe it is the people failing their social structures (families, government, education etc.) or the structures failing the people?

Answer 1

while i think this is a bullsh!t question...i think the people fail the institutions more than the other way around.

Answer 2

We have allowed ourselves to be taken care of by the government when it should be the other way around.  The government should be supported by the people, not the government supporting the people.

We have become lazy.  The government has most control in society now and we continue to allow it.  This country was not created to be that way.  When this country was founded, there were no crack addicts on welfare.  There was no welfare!  People worked for a living, or they DIED!  

Nowadays, if people don't work, the government pays them.

To really answer the question, it is people failing the social structures.  Lack of responsibility.  We have a country that allows people to make their own decisions.  This is a great thing, but too many take advantage of it and make the wrong decisions.  Un-protected s*x and not accepting the consequences which turns into un-wed mothers, no father figure, mother working all the time and no supervision of the child, child turns to crime/gangs... society loses.  That is just one example.

People need to stand on their own two feet.  It is not government's problem to support you.  It is not the job of the police to punish your children or keep them in line.  It is not the job of the schools to teach your child about s*x and life.  It is the parent's job to teach all of this, to teach right from wrong.

Everyone has certain rights.  It is not your right to be supported by the government.  It is a privilege which is taken for granted.

Answer 3

According to the bible it's when "Justice goes forth crooked" the society will fall, in other words when the social structures fail the people. this has been true of every civilization. When the little people get trampled the society falls sometime later.

Answer 4

structures fail the people.

if you study sociology, you will learn that there are many inequalities in a society that advantages and disavantages certain people.

for example, people are poor not because they are lazy per se, but because there are many inequalites in the structure of the society like corruption, unequal rights, racism and others.

the same thing is applicable to handicaps. people will not be called handicaps if society would put more ramps for those who can't walk etc.

Answer 5

Civilization itself and all its aftermaths.