Collapse of Complex Societies

I am reading Joseph Tainter’s book about the collapse of complex societies. “Collapse” is very much on peoples’ minds these days with global warming, oil peaks, water shortages, madmen with agendas and nuclear weapons all predicting an end to our society. Interestingly, not much has been written about the collapse of societies in academia, while entire library floors are devoted to how they arose. This is strange as modern societies are very specialised and complex. Comparing our levels of complexity to previous civilisations puts us squarely in the historical anomaly category.

According to Tainter, a variety of causes lead to societal collapse. One is when “the creative minority becomes the authoritarian minority”, i.e. the minority who formulate the policies and rules lose touch with their society. They refuse to believe that their policies might not be working and simply apply their polices with more vigour.

Tainter writes that a society can also collapse in a stepped fashion. With every down step, the complexity and function of the society’s public institutions are diminished and people depend less and less on those institutions, equivalent to a “sea change” en masse and in situ. Possibly like Zimbabwe?

Die Lang Stilte

Ek het my wagwoord vergeet. Na 'n amper eindelose stryd het ek nou weer toegang tot my eie ou internetdagboekie. Wat 'n gesukkel...

Vat jou koekies en trek / "Affirmative cupcake sale stopped"

Oftewel, die regstellende koekieverkoping gestop. Ek dink die koekverkopingprotes was 'n skerp idee. Goeie publisiteit is verkry, die owerhede het besluit om op te tree en het soos boelies gelyk, en niemand het seergekry nie.

Vir die lesers wat nie weet van waaroor ek skryf nie, volg asb die skakel na die koerant artikel vir agtergrond oor hierdie klein maar belangrike koekverkoping

As jy te lui was om die skakel te volg:

Studente by die Universiteit van Pretoria het 'n koekverkoping gehou waar blank, bruin, en indier studente R5 per koekie moes betaal, terwyl swart studente slegs R2 hoef op te dok vir 'n koekie. Kliente wat kon bewys dat hulle lede is van die ANC (African National Congress, heersende politieke party in die republiek) kon gratis koekies kry. Hulle is egter gevra om 'n donasie te maak in die korrupsieboksie. :-) Ek lag nou nog. Ek hoop daar is sommer nog baie sulke goeie idees.