What is the most beautiful civilization created by mankind?

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Vigilans
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25 Feb 2011, 10:07 am

Quote:

whether they were fellow Cro Magnons, or Neanderthals.

Now life as a Neanderthal man would certainly be interesting. Sometimes I find it hard to believe they didn't survive to present with us; not many species are the sole representative of their genus

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Libelula85
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25 Feb 2011, 12:16 pm

Dantac wrote:

Despite the brutality of their entertainment and military I'd say the Roman Empire at its peak.

What they built and the engineering they did it with is awe inspiring..their citizens enjoyed rights that are almost modern and very advanced compared to their contemporaries around the globe.

during the period before the Christian era to the reign of Marcus Aurelius built beautiful monuments, but in the third century aesthetics began to seem typical of the Middle Ages.

Kraichgauer
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25 Feb 2011, 2:12 pm

Vigilans wrote:

Quote:

whether they were fellow Cro Magnons, or Neanderthals.

Now life as a Neanderthal man would certainly be interesting. Sometimes I find it hard to believe they didn't survive to present with us; not many species are the sole representative of their genus

New genetic research in Germany suggests that we did in fact absorb the Neanderthal population, and that they disappeared into our gene pool so thoroughly that little of their characteristics survive today.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

TechnicalPacifist
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25 Feb 2011, 3:11 pm

ruveyn wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

So anyhoo, if I have to choose the most beautiful human civilization, it would be the Cro Magnon civilization of Paleolithic Europe.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Primitive, lovely, ignorant. The poor sods who lived in that "beautiful" civilization did not even know that all of the stuff of their lives was made of atoms.

The most exalted state for a human is knowing the causes of things.

ruveyn

I'm not disagreeing with the last part, but isn't judging people by their knowledge of atoms a bit.. limiting? :roll:

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25 Feb 2011, 4:22 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

Vigilans wrote:

Quote:

whether they were fellow Cro Magnons, or Neanderthals.

Now life as a Neanderthal man would certainly be interesting. Sometimes I find it hard to believe they didn't survive to present with us; not many species are the sole representative of their genus

Or vice versa?

This crops up every so often, along with recreating the aurochs and all that. Absent a reasoably homogeneous breding population of neandtethalenses, it is hard to be sure how far to trust the research without replicating it.

Typhoon
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25 Feb 2011, 5:19 pm

The Second Reich ! !

bad-ass Pickelhaubes, sleek gray uniforms, awesome Krupp artillery, Iron Crosses, the General Staff, East Prussia, Neo-Gothic architecture.

It almost makes my head spin because of the sheer awesomeness.

ruveyn
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25 Feb 2011, 5:42 pm

Typhoon wrote:

Und the trains ran on time! Mit Deutsche ordnung.

ruveyn

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25 Feb 2011, 6:20 pm

ruveyn wrote:

Typhoon wrote:

Und the trains ran on time! Mit Deutsche ordnung.

ruveyn

It was a time of high culture and scientific achievement for Germany, not to mention pride. And contrary to popular belief, there was democracy alongside the rule of the Prussian Kaisers, as the Reichstag was democratically elected. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down when Germany was dragged into the first world war by their treaties with Austria-Hungary. After a humiliating and expensive peace, with democracy without the Hohenzollern dynasty shoved down Germany's throat at gun point, followed a decade later by the Great Depression, only bad things should have been expected to come out of it.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Vigilans
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25 Feb 2011, 6:46 pm

The Empire was probably one of the most scientifically enlightened nations of all time. Of course their transgressions in Africa cannot be forgotten. I think ultimately blame can be lain on Wilhelm II almost exclusively for his repeated international gaffes. Of course, I once heard the expression 'While most states possess an Army, The Prussian Army possesses a State". I think the militarized upper echelons made a great war inevitable despite the democratic leanings that also existed. Wilhelm II believed too strongly in the diplomacy between blood-related monarchs and not enough in realpolitik. I think it is worth noting that he later referred to the Nazis as 'bullies' and expressed deep shame after hearing about the Kristallnacht

pandabear
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25 Feb 2011, 7:13 pm

The ante-bellum South. After they kicked out the Indians, and before Lincoln kicked their butts. Roughly 30 years of paradise.

Kraichgauer
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25 Feb 2011, 8:16 pm

pandabear wrote:

The ante-bellum South. After they kicked out the Indians, and before Lincoln kicked their butts. Roughly 30 years of paradise.

Kicking out the Indians is okay?
Not to mention, not many people actually lived in this idyllic splendor - most whites lived in poverty and were regarded to be not much more than trash by the rich plantation owners. And that's not without saying anything about the huge population of blacks who were held in involuntary servitude, and were regarded as less than human.
Admit it, pandabear - you probably posted this to get a rise out of people. I can appreciate a little bit of contrarianism.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

phil777
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25 Feb 2011, 8:22 pm

Civilization does not create itself, or is created. o.O It just is.

And call me a fatalist, but most human civilizations had their good points and drawbacks (the whole "Humans aren't perfect" saying). You just need to scratch the surface to discover the ugly truth. =/

Philologos
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25 Feb 2011, 8:27 pm

ruveyn wrote:

Typhoon wrote:

Und the trains ran on time! Mit Deutsche ordnung.

ruveyn

I thought it was Mussolini made the trains run on time. Und nach "mit" sagen wir "deutscher Ordnung, wit r and with the upper lower case herumgeschwitscht, bitte.

ruveyn
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26 Feb 2011, 3:04 am

Philologos wrote:

I thought it was Mussolini made the trains run on time. Und nach "mit" sagen wir "deutscher Ordnung, wit r and with the upper lower case herumgeschwitscht, bitte.

It started with the Romans (the original Fascists). They got the chariots and wagons running on time on their very straight roads.

Danke, dude.

ruveyn

naturalplastic
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26 Feb 2011, 11:44 am

Typhoon wrote:

Don't forget spiked helmets!

-------------------------

Actually, ive always had a soft spot in my heart for zeppilins.

Replace hydrogen with non-combustible helium for lift, build them with lightwight space age materials, and then for propulsion - either continue using steam engines (but burn recycled tires for fuel) or use lightwight modern solar cells to run electric motors-- and viola- youve got the eco friendly airtransport of tomorrow!

Further- try to hijack a zeppilin and fly it into a skyscraper- and it will just bounce off like an 800 foot long nerf ball!

ruveyn
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26 Feb 2011, 1:03 pm

naturalplastic wrote:

Don't forget spiked helmets!

-------------------------

That is what a pikelhaube is .

ruveyn

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