Interview - Thom Hartmann - The Crisis of Western Culture

[danndan6]

i'm a million times with you buddy

i can't wait till i get more free time to campaign properly on this issue

[avidalocan]

Captain Cook 40 years later. He wasn't even born until 86 years after Tasman's voyage in 1642. It's 140 years later - 1770s.

[bergweg]

Animals are democratic, hm.... Maybe that's why the "elites" want a democratic system on this planet... to keep us at the animal level

[doford]

Nice interview. I like his way of thinking.

About population. It's not as simple as having educated women.

In the case of the two island 1k apart. Perhaps the type of fish or food made the difference. With iron in your diet you become less narcissistic, with zinc in your diet your become more narcissistic, due to hemoglobin levels.

As muslims don't eat much meat it might explain the saudi population problem. Perhaps a lack of narcissism explains why women have education.

Tell Thom thanks

[pierresoleil1]

Thom is a prophet of our times. He is a meticulous researcher, a man of integrity and he speaks in easily understandable metaphors like the deers etc. We must read his works and use it as a text book to train others, to entrain others to influence others that we CAN make a difference. GREAT interview.

[Tyrfingr]

A bit like what Terence Mckenna always talked about

[papertrails2you]

Power and Material possessions. Ownership, a car, a home, a boat, expensive jewelry. Keep up with the Jones's - this is drilled into our heads everyday. The T.V has done this with commercials of products that you must own, must have to attain the status quo.

It is possible to break away from it, but, your family and friends etc. will dislike you. They want you to do what they are doing. Buying, consuming, going into debt.

This consumption style has led us to our present situation.

[paulscape72]

'Democracy is in our DNA' - quote of the century!

[dutytocareforothers]

Thom talks about people as if they are herds of animals. That is too hilarious. I would hope he would encourage people to think for themselves.

[nikkinew123]

I love Thom for so many personal reasons but I listen to him not only because he is smart but because his ideas and concerns come from a good place. Millionaires like Rush are all about the money and pure hatred. Rush speaks with a vicious tongue and that tells you where his heart is...

[aaa333ify]

He's a very smart man.

[cloudbuster77]

ummm,,,,,,,,,,,the alpha deer 'fights himself silly' in the fall during the rut, not the spring. the baby fawns are born in the spring

[N8Psycho78]

I love this guy because he's saying exactly what i'm thinking. I Thought I was crazy when I was a teenager. Its nice to hear that somebody else is crazy too.

[janetjamerson]

Native Americans had it right all along

[quidnick]

@janetjamerson they've got their revenge from casinos and tobacco sales.

[pasquinade777]

"Everything is sacred.." To me that is the point. When a person sees everything as being sacred, they are far less likely to pollute their world, to overconsume, to accept toxins, tumors, stagnancy..

[jimj122680]

He blames pop. explosion on patriarchy??? He overlooks the basic concept of exponential growth as being the #1 factor responsible for global population explosion.

He argues that matriarchal societies have ZP (zero pop growth). Yeah,OK, but they also lack science/technological advancement which I feel will ultimately feed back and solve pop problems.

Let's not forget that famine and disease also help maintain ZP, but those surely aren't desirable characteristics for any society to have.

[burgercide]

@jimj122680 exponential growth is not a reason or cause, it's a description of how populations behave under some - but not all - circumstances.

[AutoRepairHelp101]

I'm an extreme right conservative and he makes some interesting arguments which I'll need to think about and explore by reading his book. My first hunch is that this guy is a useful tool to the New World Order.

Hierarchical societies created nearly all of technology which the world enjoys today (planes, computers, biomed, phones, etc etc etc). I highly doubt an egalitarian based society would produce much technology.

[tainoaz]

@AutoRepairHelp101 You state; 'Hierarchical societies created nearly all of technology which the world enjoys today (planes, computers, biomed, phones, etc etc etc).  I highly doubt an egalitarian based society would produce much technology.'

AND? How much more advanced are we from Gangs of Marauding Gangsters?

This planet took BILLIONS of years to develop/evolve into the Paradise it was before the Industrial Revolution and Mindless Capitalism. In less that 150 Years we have Messed It UP.

[part2themovie]

@tainoaz that's the number 1 BS argument.

I have no clue what some of the stuff I develop is worth, but I rather die in mediocrity and obscurity than release it into this culture just for a profit

[TruthandJustice101]

According to the Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere, the crisis of Western Culture IS WESTERN CULTURE ITSELF.

[themajikat]

@TruthandJustice101 Have you read "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn?

[a0eoj]

He said it all with just two words - dysfunctional culture

[maxwell308]

Great interview. Unfortunately I worry that a peaceful transition from large nation states to localized democracy is not possible. The crash then rebound model seems much more likely; similar to an addict needing to hit bottom before making any real changes in their life.

[myleftFIST]

this guy is mindblowing

[trickertricks]

Modern civilization was Created by an EGODriven idiot human who wanted a Bigger tribe(the ego always wants MORE).

All the Great thinkers n Prophets that were born in the EGODriven Modern World have NEVER had the answers coz they are looikin thue ego-Eyes.... this makes them think they have the solutions to the problems they rae tryin to solve..... egoHeads always go on n on about how they worked this n that out wen really they havent.. this is the reason human behaviour will only get worse.

[VolcanicPenguin]

I would say that what we call democratic elections is more like the deer fighting itself bloody to become the alpha male, while humanity is still democratic in that we choose what to spend our money on. :9

[liggybird]

A very timely and important interview. Mr Hartmann makes a very convincing argument in support of his conclusions.

This has given me a new (and more hopeful) perspective on several aspects of both animal behaviour and human history.

[morelshaman]

Wonderful interview. As usual Hartmann provides insights/ideas that may/not be true, but they are definitely interesting. I intend on finding this book reading & then passing on to another open-minded reader.

Thanks for the heads-up on a new read.

[italianchappy]

Very interesting but I think it's wrong on many regards. The condoms' theory and the economic theory about population control can be false, but for the same reason the equality between males and females theory fails in explaining low birth rates as well. North european countries have more equality between genders and feminism is stronger than in machist Italy. However in italy we have fewer sons. Genders' equality doesn't explain population control.

[skariskripo]

Great interview, keep up the good work!