From: Richard Loosemore (rpwl@lightlink.com)
Date: Wed Sep 28 2005 - 16:23:02 MDT
Phil Goetz wrote:
>>The most graphic summary of these issues is probably not Jared
>>Diamond's
>>recent effort, but a gorgeously illustrated children's book called "A
>>
>>Street Through Time". Do take a look at it next time you're in the
>>bookstore. Look at the page with the Roman street, c. 100 A.D.
>>Dwell
>>for a moment on the plumbing, the fabulous stone buildings, murals on
>>
>>the walls, central heating, shops, etc. Then look at the next
>>picture,
>>and the next, and the next, for about another 1,600 years.
>
>
> Be cautious in interpreting that. True, the west lost much of
> what it had. But the Roman street had plumbing, fabulous stone
> buildings, etc., because Rome was leeching off the work of all
> of Western Europe and concentrating all of its wealth into a
> single city.
>
> - Phil Goetz
Jeepers, no. This was a street in Britain, out of the fringe of the
empire. We had temples, amphitheaters, plumbing and centrally heated
villas all over the place. Admittedly, the slaves and common,
woad-loving Britons didn't! But these things were relatively common.
Yes, the Romans were slave-owning leaches.
Western civilization does the same thing, but more subtly (go visit the
house of the folks who made your shoes). Okay, that's gonna start a
heck of a flame war. Time to duck beneath the parapet.......... ;-)
Richard
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