Among the many oppositions of civilized association five are
outstanding: the we-they relationship; rural versus urban life;
subsistence versus acquisition and accumulation; hard work versus ease,
luxury and parasitism; poverty versus wealth.
Civilization is not only complex and interdependent in form, it is
avowedly competitive in its functioning. Politically, nation building,
empire building and the establishment and maintenance of each
civilization is a competitive struggle between declared rivals to gain
and keep place and power. Economically, the efforts to get and keep
natural resources and labor power and to use them to _Our_ advantage and
_Their_ disadvantage dominates the field of livelihood. Ideologically
_We_ are right, while _They_ are wrong. Culturally _We_ are superior.
_They_ are inferior.
The _We-They_ relationship developed very early in the history of the
human family. Individuals and small, more advanced groups have reached a
level of understanding and living based on the cooperative inclusive
formula of _"We, Ours, Us",_ but every civilization known to history has
accepted and adopted the competitive, divisive formula and poured energy
and wealth into the political, economic, ideological and cultural
struggle to take and keep for individual, local or class advantage.
Resulting oppositions fragmented civilization: (1) urban vs. rural life,
city vs. hinterland; (2) cooperation vs.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180