What if Earth's population was only 100?

by FlyingHighNow 69 Replies latest jw friends

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  NewChapter

  Well if there were only 100 people, they'd probably have a fairly egalitarian society without strong notions of wealth or personal belonging. These groups operate as bands where it is in their best interest to keep everyone healthy. If one went off alone, they couldn't survive as they would most likely be predominantly foragers or horitculturists who supplement their diet by foraging. Agriculture and the luxury of settling down comes with numbers. Foragers would die if they were isolated. Because it only works as a group. So there would be no lone wolf gathering wealth--he would die.

  So 100 people go off to find food, but only 20 find any, it's not a problem because everyone shares. Small bands don't resent this, it means survival.

  A more likely scenario for a group of this number is they would probably break down into smaller bands. It's takes a fairly large area to gather food so they would spread out. In that case, they would trade members on occasion and most likely marry outside their own band.

  So yes they would have universal health care as it was. Be it a doctor, or more likely, skilled herbalists, this would be a necessary service to the entire band. And it's not a bad life. Today there are still small bands of foragers, although they all interact to some degree with agriculturists and horticultorists, they do pretty good. They average 2300 calories for every man, woman and child. That's an abundance. So by supporting each other and caring about what happens to their neighbors, all members experience plenty. They also have surprisingly good health, because they are living the exact lifestyle that humans evolved to live. The foraging, egalitarian life style makes happy bodies and happy people.

  So while others are trying to bend over backwards to deny that universal health care would apply to this group, they are trying to reconstruct this society in the context was what they have. It wouldn't be this way if only 100 people lived on an island. Every life would become more valuable and selfishnes would be unacceptable. No one could be a great deal richer than their neighbors because settling down to accumulate such wealth would lead to starvation.

  That's my take anyway. I've studied it a bit.

  NC
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  stillajwexelder

  Jesus FHN - by that statistic I am comfortably in the top 1% - mmmm
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  FlyingHighNow

  New Chapter, they have studied the Etowah Indians in Cartersville, GA. If someone wasn't good at mothering, no problem, the other women in the tribe would help her. They worked together for the good of everyone. No doubt there was at least one healer that took care of everyone and passed his/her knowledge down to someone younger who would take up where the healer left off. They are fascinating to learn about. My children and I spent a lot of time visiting the mounds.
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  NewChapter

  That's how small groups of humans work FHN. It's kind of fun though watching people squirm away from the idea of universal health care, or even universal good. Thinking they could settle down---all alone---and simply get rich without their people and no obligation to them. For the greatest part of our history, this is how we were. All this other stuff is relatively new. But I also think these groups aren't worried about crime and mental illness much.

  NC
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  FlyingHighNow

  Da Cheech, that is a book, not an article. The problem in America is not a shortage of health care, it's just been made too expensive by making it big time, for profit, business. Gone are the community hospitals and clinics that were plentiful during my childhood. I found my nursery bill from when my mother had me at Mobile Infirmary in October of 1958. The bill came to $19 per day. Today a nursery bill runs into the thousands and if the baby is sick it can run into many, many thousands. In Japan when someone comes up with new technology, the government requires that they bring the cost down by finding a way to build the same thing for much less. Japan doesn't allow big business to fleece its people by gouging them with health care costs. No, they do not have a perfect system, but all are covered and they get care that many of us, even some with insurance cannot afford here.
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  NewChapter

  I read the story about an anthropologist that had gone to stay with a band. They were foragers and he didn't hunt, but they shared everything with him even though he had brought his own provisions. Anyway to thank them he planned a feast and bought a fat ox in town. There was enough meat on the ox to provide every member with several pounds of meat. So they roasted it up, and the entire time they ate it they complained how tough the meet was, stringy, dry. How puny the ox had been.

  This is how they treat the meat brought home by hunters. No matter how good or succulent, they insult it. They don't want gifted hunters to think they are better or worthy of better treatment. Nor do they want to give the impression that meat is superior to the vegetable foods gathered by others. The food is shared, and they are equals. Very interesting.

  NC
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  FlyingHighNow

  It's kind of fun though watching people squirm away from the idea of universal health care, or even universal good.

  Or try to dance in circles trying to convince themselves that their idea, the one where the strong should thrive at the expense of the weak, would work when you have only 100 people. But if you have a handful of the hundred trying to hoard all the resources, including health care, to themselves, then the majority end up sick, depressed, hopeless and dying.

  Once the hoarders have effectively choked out those below them, this handful is going to realize they have to do all the hard work, which they have no clue how to do, or starve. And when the folks from the next island come a runnin', these selfish hoarders are pretty much going to be conquered or killed, that is unless this other tribe is a bunch of good guys. And the good guys might figure out how dangerously selfish these hoarders are and leave them to their own devices. Or hey, maybe put them on trial and imprison them.
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  FlyingHighNow

  The food is shared, and they are equals. Very interesting.

  Indeed.
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  FlyingHighNow

  I love mental exercises like this. Thanks for bringing this up, FlyingHighNow

  So do I, Lady Lee. Thank you for your comments.

  well seems like you're ignoring all the scenarios presented........... and still going on with gibberish

  Only the ones trying to lead the thread off in a strawman tangent. Not ignorning them, I've read everyone.
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  Violia

  I very much dislike the misinformation regarding conservative persons in general. it is the same as everyone on the liberal side is a loony tree hugging hippy. they are not.

  Also, if you had 100 people on earth they would soon form tribes and separate themselves along either culture /racial or economic lines.

  Conservative people are among the most strong, kind and chartable people you could ever hope to meet. They have a strong work ethic and believe in hard work and giving to those in need. they usually have a strong faith in God but are not necessarily religious. they support the community and are usually active in helping people locally. they believe the Chinese proverb that if you give a man a fish he eats for one day , but if you teach him to fish he eats for his lifetime.

  What they don't believe in is giving money to other folks who don't want to work or make some contribution to society. They expect you to go to school and learn a trade or a profession and be a contributing part of society. They are not happy to see their tax dollars go to folks who make a career of living off the government when they could do some kind of work. They do not hate disabled people and most work hard in their communities to help those less fortunate.
  Conservative folks do not hate immigrants, they are very glad to live in the USA and want others to come here too- just legally. So if you come here legally , they are happy to see you. You will be working and paying taxes and then you are an American citizen . I expect if someone is here illegally they will try and become legal in whatever way they can.

  They generally feel the federal government is the last resort. Even if you cannot work they feel you should make some contribution to society if you expect to get benefits. Basically they agree with the Bible, if you do not work , you do not eat. they do not hate those who are not able to work for whatever reason but feel social programs should be kept to the minimum- basically take only what you need and not more.

  Government is city, state, federal. We start with our cities and try and take care of our citizens in our city .If your problem is greater than your city government then you move up the ladder with the federal government being last.

  http://www.legalzoom.com/us-law/immigration/becoming-american-understanding-legal-and

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_government_in_the_United_States

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_governments_of_the_United_States

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services

  There must be provision for those who are weak, ill or old. The government already has a provision for these but they are being depleted quickly due to the large amount of folks who are unable to work and pay taxes.

  the work force compassion 1950-2050. fact is, less folks are working now to support those who cannot.

  http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/05/art2full.pdf

  My dad said to me, " get a job Hippy" and I did. I worked hard and so did my hubby. Anyone can become ill through no fault of their own. We are grateful for Medicare and other programs for older persons. This is not socialism, it is what the system was set up for. You work hard as long as you can and either you retire or you become unable to work. Either way, you paid into the system and so you have a right to benefits.