WESTERN CIV 101: A BASIC SURVEY

Western Civilization, Western Civ, starts with a journey that began as a walk, or a float.

Someone young enough, strong enough, and smart enough wanted more than what they’re getting.

“More what,” you ask?

Since this is a simple explanation I’ll keep it basic: more food, more clothing, more shelter.

Or any food, any clothing, any shelter.

They needed to be young to endure the illness and disease of new lands.

Their strength came in when they found that new land.

Think of the Oregon Trail where the adults walked from Missouri, then cleared land when they arrived and started planting.

The Food Part Of Western Civ

Once these young, strong, smart wanderers settle on their destination they either broke ground, or waited out the winter and then broke ground.

Either way, they showed up without an extensive supple chain backing them up so they lived on the pantry they brought with them, and scoured the countryside.

They planted seeds, harvested crops and traded their surplus with others for goods and services. Sounds civilized, right?

Once transportation improved, the market for goods and services grew more robust.

You could ship crops out on the same river you and your ancestors floated in on.

Then what?

Western Civ Investment In The Future

In no time boat builders made new boats for rivers, steams, bays, gulfs, seas, and oceans.

If you wanted to go somewhere, then build a boat or buy a ticket.

Be adventurous. Start your own country, commune, or cult.

Like they say, “Build it and they will come.”

The First Time Machine

You want to send something, or travel yourself, faster than an ox cart on a rutted road, or a skow with a small sail?

So did everyone else, but how?

The first example of this simple “wagonway” train system dates all the way back to 2nd and 1st millennia BC, where Assyrians, Babyulonians, Persians build roads with specific wheel-ruts deliberately cut into rock. This road configuration enabled them to more easily transport wagons that were pulled by horses or bulls, without any need for steering or controlling the trajectory of the wagon. Because of this, many of those civilizations developed dedicated wagonways that connected their main cities with their nearby trading posts or sacred places (Sparta to Ayklia, Athens to Eleusis, Elis to Olympia). Greeks especially adopted this type of transport, even managing to build very impressive wagonway called Diolkos in ancient Corinth around 600BC, which many call today the first railway in the entire history.

The train shrunk the land. You could go from Point A to Point B faster than ever.

Civilized Behavior Grew

New lands brought different people together

The successful people learned how to get along, how to cooperate.

When others saw that success, they wanted to learn.

Eventually everything scaled up and the world grew together in a knowledge-web of civilization and communication based on trust and fairness.

Disputes are heard and settled, trades proposed and made, and deals struck.

It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s better than showing the world what a historical fanatic looks like one more time, the sort of demented leader who claims land on spurious intent, who is comfortable rolling over borders and bodies, who feels his power is more important than any other power.

The current maniac murdering Western Civ is Putin in Russia going after Ukraine.

Any doubts of his evilness in America shows a large gap in public education that extends to too many congressional offices, and comes out of too many former administration officials’ mouths.

Any Putin praise guarantees a failing grade as a citizen in the world of 2022.

Please open your blue book and answer this question:

Is Putin a murderous dictator, or a savvy genius.

And If you spend next July 4th with him, what would you like to talk about?

These people have suggestions.