More from The Seneca Effect by Ugo Bardi.
Japan escaped the boom and bust cycles of many other pre-modern human
civilizations and managed to create a stable and relatively prosperous society.
Of course, that doesn't mean that Edo Japan was Paradise on Earth. It was a
tightly regulated society where individual freedom and individual rights were
unknown concepts. Social inequality was also very pronounced and political
power was concentrated in the hands of a small number of wealthy landlords.
Still, we can learn a lot from ancient Japan on how to create a society that doesn't overexploit its resources and maintains the natural wealth of its territory. The Japanese interpretation of the concept of sustainability made it possible for them to develop a remarkably sophisticated society. The skills of the Japanese craftsmen are still legendary today, while Japan attained achievements in poetry and figurative art that are a cultural heritage of all humankind: from Hokusai's prints to Basho's sophisticated poetry. In comparison, it is truly heartbreaking to note how the cultural treasures that Ireland had produced during its long history were destroyed by the greed and the carelessness of the foreign rulers of Ireland.
So, how could the Japanese attain sustainability whereas Ireland couldn't? It is, of course, a complex question, but I can list here the main factors that differentiated Japan and Ireland during the ninetieth century.
Still, we can learn a lot from ancient Japan on how to create a society that doesn't overexploit its resources and maintains the natural wealth of its territory. The Japanese interpretation of the concept of sustainability made it possible for them to develop a remarkably sophisticated society. The skills of the Japanese craftsmen are still legendary today, while Japan attained achievements in poetry and figurative art that are a cultural heritage of all humankind: from Hokusai's prints to Basho's sophisticated poetry. In comparison, it is truly heartbreaking to note how the cultural treasures that Ireland had produced during its long history were destroyed by the greed and the carelessness of the foreign rulers of Ireland.
So, how could the Japanese attain sustainability whereas Ireland couldn't? It is, of course, a complex question, but I can list here the main factors that differentiated Japan and Ireland during the ninetieth century.
- Japan had
a strong national government. Ireland was governed by a different country.
- Japan had
a well-developed commercial system and a national currency. Ireland had
neither.
- Japan was
isolated, practicing no commerce with other countries. Ireland was
integrated with the British worldwide commercial system.
- Japan is a
country of steep mountain ranges and low coastline. Ireland is mainly
flat, with high coastlines.
What can
we reasonably conclude from this in light of the current situation? Among other
things, this: the neo-liberal world order, which increasingly depends upon
globalization, international migration, and multiculturalism, is unsustainable,
unstable, and intrinsically fragile. Nationalism is the solution,
which is why both progressivism and conservatism are irrelevant and the
Alt-Right is inevitable over time.
Christian nationalism is the one and only way to preserve Western civilization, as well as the many fruits of the West such as science, human liberty, and inside plumbing. You may not wish to accept that reality for one reason or another, but your excuses and your alternatives are rapidly vanishing.
Christian nationalism is the one and only way to preserve Western civilization, as well as the many fruits of the West such as science, human liberty, and inside plumbing. You may not wish to accept that reality for one reason or another, but your excuses and your alternatives are rapidly vanishing.
