We are no more civilized or advanced than the most primitive of peoples on this planet.

[Skidmore]

Technology obscures this simple fact. When it comes down to it, we are all wired for fight or flight responses. Strip the technology away and present the right threat, each and every one of us will either fight for life and sustenance. When presented with the right provocation, we will try to protect the ones we love. And when presented with the right circumstances, we will seek to secure for ourselves resources for survival.

After all of these unending discussions about who is more civilized or superior than others, the fact remains that we are human and exceptionalism is a cultural myth.

[midnight]

1. K&R... And the reason is because we allowed Bush to replace our

Constitution with a Patriot Act... We need the rule of law back.....

[Skidmore]

2. The reason we have the Patriot Act is because we responded in fear

to a threat.

[Vincardog]

3. The reason we have the Patriot Act is because the PTB provoked us into allowing them to jam it down

our throats by their "New Pearl Harbor" like event

[Zywiec]

4. President Obama extended the Patriot Act. n/t

[msongs]

6. why blame BUsh, he is not responsible for currently supported government policy nt

[Cleita]

10. We also allowed Bush to replace our elected President,

Al Gore, through a series of Machiavellian maneuvers by the right. We should have stormed the Supreme Court when that happened and insisted that they had no jurisdiction in the matter, which they didn't. Law stated it was up to the Supreme Court of Florida to determine the outcome of the votes not the SCOTUS.

[The Second Stone]

5. Running water and A/C

make it more comfortable than an Amazon tribe, but I don't think I'm morally superior or anything like that.

[hifiguy]

7. David Byrne got it right

Someday we'll live on Venus
And men will walk on Mars
But we will still be monkeys
Down deep inside.

[leveymg]

8. We're still a long way from ready to infect another planet.

An intelligent race of beings would probably slow down our rate of technological advance until we're ready - it be a very long decline before we begin to move outward again.

[Skidmore]

13. We all still have a reptilian brain and it kicks in from time to time.

[Cleita]

9. I don't know what you consider primitive, but it

seems stone age tribal societies are more advanced socially than us in that they practice socialism by including everyone in their society. The hunters and gatherers may do the majority of the work in procuring food and other necessities but they make sure the youngest, the oldest and the weakest all share in the bounty. Of course that means everyone within the confines of their village, tribe or clan. How generous they are with outsiders is up to debate although some anthropologists think the custom of potlach, that is gift giving to neighboring tribes and people among the Northwest Indian tribes, might be an effort to bridge that gap and avoid warfare, but I'm not an expert in this so I defer to those who know better.

[Riftaxe]

11. In other words, we are just as human

as the other humans on this dirt ball...color me shocked, that is shocked! shocked that anyone would be arrogant enough to think otherwise.

[BrendaBrick]

12. Maybe even LESS advanced in some critical ways...

Consider a series "Meet the Natives"

From wiki: Meet the Natives: USA is an American reality television series that premiered on the Travel Channel on November 29, 2009.<1> The series follows five tribesmen from the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, as they travel to the United States on an adventure to explore America and the American way of life. During their visit to America they also have a special message of peace and kindness that they wish to relay.<2>

2nd Episode: 2 "New York" November 29, 2009 <6>
The men visited New York's upper class area where they meet Bunny, who lives alone while her husband is away on business and her children are away at college. Bunny introduces them to the art of painting. The tribe starts to realize that America lives off of money. They take interest in an individual who is homeless and quickly explain how their culture would not allow for an individual to be homeless.<7>

From YouTube on the homeless man in NY: (Little over 2 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oBpopVz24o

[Admiral Loinpresser]

14. We are less so. n/t

n/t