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If I understood your argument correctly than it applies more to the Amish than to poor countries because some things are definitely a sign of progress, like end
by darebak 5y ago
If I understood your argument correctly than it applies more to the Amish than to poor countries because some things are definitely a sign of progress, like ending malnourishment, supplying shelter and curing basic diseases.
Where I agree with you is that not every progress is progress to everyone, for example the above mentioned Amish usually refuse medical treatments in old age but are open to it when they are in the productive age. Would it be progress for them to undergo cancer treatment when they are 80? Maybe, maybe not. Is it progress when they get clean environment for childbirth? Definitely.
- marginalia_nu 5y agoProgress toward what?
- darebak 5y agoWell being, lower stress and suffering.
- marginalia_nu 5y agoRight, didn't we already have that as paleolithic times? No pollution, can just forage for a few hours and then mostly chill. Seems these cavemen have progressed farther than we have.
- imtringued 5y agoThat works until your population has grown so much your people start illegally logging protected forests for slash and burn agriculture because they have nothing to eat. The conventional solution is natural predators for population control. We have to do population control in our head.
- darebak 5y agoThat's a myth of a noble savage, a lot of prehistoric people died in childhood, childbirth, from broken bones, had no safety etc.
- marginalia_nu 5y agoPrehistoric people died as many times a lifetime as contemporary man. What they didn't have to worry about was mortgages, inflation, losing their jobs, the destabilizing political situation in Eastern Europe, global warming, QAnon, the vanishing bees, health insurance, and so forth.
- darebak 5y agoThey died much earlier and more painfully and their life was full of stress.
- quacked 5y agoI think there are many obvious holes in your choice of example, but your overall point stands. Let's look at America. Are people healthy and unstressed? The wealthiest nation in the world--obese, chronically ill, depressed, suicidal. If this is progress, I want whatever is not progress.