Tag Archives: society

The Thin Veneer of Civilization

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

Originally published on October 16, 2002, 13 months after the 9/11 attacks.

The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary defines the word “civilization” thus: An ideal state of human culture characterized by complete absence of barbarism and non-rational behavior.

In the United States, we pretend to live our entire lives in a constant “State of Positive Assumptions.” The central assumption is we DO live in a country “characterized by complete absence of barbarism and non-rational behavior.” Continue reading →

The End

BY GARY JOHNSON
Reprinted from Loose Change (TCBMag.com)

The End is a 1978 flick in Burt Reynold’s prime (for whatever that’s worth) starring Dom DeLuise, Robby Benson, Carl Reiner, Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Myrna Loy, Norman Fell, Strother Martin, Pat O’Brien, etc. It’s about a young-ish rich guy who has been given six months to live. His end will be horrible, he’s told, so he decides to put himself out of his misery early. After a few failed attempts, he ends up spending a few days in a mental hospital where he enlists the help of a fellow patient (Dom DeLuise). Continue reading →