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Topic: If society was an organism... (Read 1602 times)

newbie
Activity: 33
Merit: 0
December 21, 2012, 10:29:39 PM
#20
Its most like the immune system to protect the important parts of society.. Unfortunately it's turned into one of those autoimmune systems (over active and attacks your own body by mistake)

"...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends (protect the important parts of society), it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - from the preamble of The Declaration of Independence
legendary
Activity: 3066
Merit: 1147
The revolution will be monetized!
December 19, 2012, 03:01:17 PM
#19
Aren't cancers generally caused by "freedom loving" cells that decide "TO HELL with my neighbours, the authoritarian government, and the laa-dee-daa community! This is my turf and I'm going to homestead this place and build whatever the hell I want!" ?? Cheesy

Always those free radicals!  Angry

In government each person seems reasonably smart on their own

wha?

but together they are disastrously stupid

well they do create order somewhat. Though the average life span of many a state is also quite similar to that of a human organism.


I was thinking of something more like this classic. (updated)
http://www.businessballs.com/businessballs_treeswing_pictures.htm
hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1000
December 19, 2012, 02:56:00 PM
#18
All a bunch of wonderful speculation, to be sure. The idea is not new, and Herman Daly is known for describing in detail the aspects of it.

It's all here:

http://sef.umd.edu/files/ScientificAmerican_Daly_05.pdf

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3941
legendary
Activity: 1764
Merit: 1007
December 19, 2012, 02:27:20 PM
#17
Aren't cancers generally caused by "freedom loving" cells that decide "TO HELL with my neighbours, the authoritarian government, and the laa-dee-daa community! This is my turf and I'm going to homestead this place and build whatever the hell I want!" ?? Cheesy

Always those free radicals!  Angry

In government each person seems reasonably smart on their own

wha?

but together they are disastrously stupid

well they do create order somewhat. Though the average life span of many a state is also quite similar to that of a human organism.

legendary
Activity: 3066
Merit: 1147
The revolution will be monetized!
December 19, 2012, 02:10:43 PM
#16
I thought this thread said "Orgasm".  Shocked

I am not sure about the comparison with brain matter. In a brain each cell is stupid, but working together intelligence emerges. In government each person seems reasonably smart on their own, but together they are disastrously stupid.
legendary
Activity: 2576
Merit: 2267
1RichyTrEwPYjZSeAYxeiFBNnKC9UjC5k
December 19, 2012, 01:23:28 AM
#15
Possibly the government could be part of the brain. The lizard part. Eat, f*ck, fight, sh*t. That's about all it can manage.

I can see where some arguments could be made for the monkey part too. But it comes nowhere near the frontal lobes.
DTD
newbie
Activity: 12
Merit: 0
December 16, 2012, 08:16:08 PM
#14
Not even that - I think hookworms would be more accurate. Start off small, leech a little... eventually grow to the point that they kill the host.
ITT that sounds most accurate.

Anyone calling it the brain is confused. It performs no functions in any way analogous to the brain. The market, the private sectors, would be the brain, if anything. That's where all the creation and intelligent activity takes place. All the G does is siphon resources and screw up the brain's healthy operations.
hero member
Activity: 728
Merit: 500
December 13, 2012, 11:31:15 AM
#13
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked


the blood circulating == trucks, cars, buses, trains, ships, airplanes

really, what would the currency be?

Organisms use multiple "currencies" for different purposes. Fat for long term high density storage, glucose for everyday activities, and ketone bodies in times of starvation.

I think it is wrong to separate the "brain" and the nervous system. The brain is a location of highly dense nervous system activity that filters unimportant information and tries to predict the results of current/future actions on future results based on past experience. I'm not sure what the analogous thing in a society would be, not the government.

The government is more like the immune system (as blackbison says), which has various tools to detect and deal with internal and external threats to the stability of the system.
sr. member
Activity: 250
Merit: 250
December 13, 2012, 10:01:00 AM
#12
Its most like the immune system to protect the important parts of society.. Unfortunately it's turned into one of those autoimmune systems (over active and attacks your own body by mistake)
sr. member
Activity: 374
Merit: 250
Tune in to Neocash Radio
December 13, 2012, 09:47:20 AM
#11
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked

More like a brain cancer, or a parasite. Alters the behavior in unpredictable, and often self-destructive ways.

Not even that - I think hookworms would be more accurate. Start off small, leech a little... eventually grow to the point that they kill the host.




Almost?  Wait a while, you'll see.
legendary
Activity: 1764
Merit: 1007
December 13, 2012, 06:12:21 AM
#10
And matter/energy is part of either, so?

but yes, a government is big, extremely convoluted ball of communication paths, mostly merely serving itself, but this is where decisions are formed. Transmitters are its executive.
legendary
Activity: 3318
Merit: 2008
First Exclusion Ever
December 13, 2012, 05:56:17 AM
#9
internet == brain

no, nervous system, as said

The brain is part of the nervous system.
hero member
Activity: 756
Merit: 501
There is more to Bitcoin than bitcoins.
December 13, 2012, 04:26:59 AM
#8
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked


the blood circulating == trucks, cars, buses, trains, ships, airplanes

really, what would the currency be?
legendary
Activity: 1540
Merit: 1000
December 13, 2012, 04:12:19 AM
#7
Governments aren't smart enough to be the brain, the brain is the people, I vote for them being cancer too lol.
legendary
Activity: 1764
Merit: 1007
December 13, 2012, 04:02:35 AM
#6
internet == brain

no, nervous system, as said
hero member
Activity: 532
Merit: 500
FIAT LIBERTAS RVAT CAELVM
December 12, 2012, 10:49:45 PM
#5
internet == brain

government == cancer

asdf == win.
hero member
Activity: 527
Merit: 500
December 12, 2012, 10:22:34 PM
#4
internet == brain

government == cancer
sr. member
Activity: 420
Merit: 250
December 12, 2012, 08:40:01 PM
#3
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked

More like a brain cancer, or a parasite. Alters the behavior in unpredictable, and often self-destructive ways.

Not even that - I think hookworms would be more accurate. Start off small, leech a little... eventually grow to the point that they kill the host.


hero member
Activity: 532
Merit: 500
FIAT LIBERTAS RVAT CAELVM
December 12, 2012, 07:04:53 PM
#2
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked

More like a brain cancer, or a parasite. Alters the behavior in unpredictable, and often self-destructive ways.
legendary
Activity: 1764
Merit: 1007
December 12, 2012, 07:01:21 PM
#1
...and resources harvesting and processing would be nutrition and metabolism, currency the blood circulating, communication the nervous system, then... wouldn't government be the brain?  Shocked
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