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I think I didn't communicate clearly what I meant. I think my response to a sibling comment clarifies my observation: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10571

I think I didn't communicate clearly what I meant. I think my response to a sibling comment clarifies my observation: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10571763 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10571763 I'm not sure what you mean about "western civilization" becoming an ornery minority but it gives me a sense of "barbarians at the gates" sort of thinking. Could you clarify?

scottlocklin 11y ago
Western civilization is very obviously dissolving itself into tiny balkanized minorities, consisting of perpetually aggrieved people whining at each other in a sort of victim olympics in hopes of status payouts and vague grubbings after ephemeral power. Taleb's hack applied on a wide scale by everyone against everyone else. There are passages on the subject in Thucidides, Ammianus Marcellinus and probably lots of other places... Anyway, civilizations get sick and die: there is nothing I can do about it beyond scowling at the imbecile descendants of the people who once sent men to the moon. At least China seems to have walked away from its suicide attempt.