On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:01:48 +1200, Carl Cerecke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > While that's true from a strictly legal point of view, I assure you that there > > are many people who are stuck in the lower echelons of our society who feel > > that they have been reduced to that level. Haven't you heard people refer to > > themselves as being "Just a cog in the machine ..." ? > > Yes, but, hasn't that been more-or-less true for all of human history? > Today, more than perhaps anytime in the past, it is possible to get out > of the cog-in-the-machine feeling. Still difficult for many, I'll admit, > but certainly easier than times past. (I'm no historian, so feel free to > correct me, anyone)
I suspect it's cyclical, although I have no scientific data to back that up. The industrial revolution probably started the latest "I'm just a cog" cycle. Before that, tightly controlled societies like Sparta probably had the same effect. Of course, I could be wrong because I'm just guessing.
