An oldie, but goodie from several years ago. Nothing has changed.

"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind. Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance, and barbarism must ultimately triumph."  Robert E Howard

I have enjoyed civilization, so I shall mourn its demise. And no, I haven't gone round the bend. Civilization is still breathing. But when it went in for its last physical, it was showing alarming signs of wear.

Like beauty, civilization is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone views it the same. Some folks, such as the fundamentalist Islamists, are delighted with the social and cultural progress of their society, even if it stopped progressing in the 12^th century. And those purveyors of a socialist workers' paradise no doubt believe their dream world is the epitome of human development.

I'm hopelessly caught up in my own provincialism. I like the version of American civilization that I have known, that has evolved and thrived so well for the last few hundred years. As a society we have blossomed within its confines. Unfortunately, circumstances have changed, and American civilization, as we know it, is in decline.

Since my thoughts are limited to 600 words a week, please bear with me while I oversimplify things. I figure kids are born with only the makings of a barbarian. Then somebody takes them and educates them and trains them and turns them into something else, a civilized being. And if enough of the population gets turned into civilized beings, we end up with a civilization.

Education presents to the child's mind the tools with which to think, problem solve, and expand. Training provides the distinction between good behavior and bad. Training gives a moral context so people are constrained to live peacefully together, and education equips each individual to advance their existence, to make the most of their talents and their life. The mix of training and education, in varying proportions, determines the differences between civilizations. I like the mix we used to have. The new mix…well maybe that's the reason I keep smelling smoke.

I'm still oversimplifying, so hang in there. Fundamentalist religion-based civilizations lean toward training their citizens. The same proved true for the functional arm of socialism, communism. Education (thinking) threatens the leaders of such societies, so they limit it.

American civilization used training as a base, and then added education as the opportunity for people to excel. This was coupled with an economic incentive that rewarded excellence and extra effort, and provided for the highest standard of living on earth.

Our training used to come from individual families, and local churches and schools. And our education was also kept close to home. This worked well, for those who participated. Those who didn't were left behind. This is part of the natural order. But somebody set out to fix that, by giving up on the development of individuals, and concentrating on uniform training of the herd.

Local influence on citizen development is shrinking. Now training comes from the government, through the schools, to the child, and from those folks who run entertainment and media. When thinking gets in the way of the trainers, education is pushed aside. Education allows some to forge ahead, so in order to accommodate those left behind, it must go. That which benefits the talented and hard working has lost value, to be replaced by a system intent on producing an equality of mediocrity.

So our civilization is morphing into a 21^st century version of feudalism. That is, unless we are instead, overrun by the one mired in the 12^th century.