On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 8:49 PM, Heather Madrone <[email protected]> wrote:
> Why would living a nomadic life with tethers to society be faking it? What Eugen said initially sums it up: <<We do not yet have a technology for a truly nomadic existance that is both comfortable and sustainable. If we ever develop such technology then the era of planet-dwellers will be shortly over.>> > Nomadic peoples all over the world have a long history of trading > with settled peoples. They didn't make or find everything themselves; > they used their mobility to provide rare goods to people who had > things they needed or wanted. The first items that come to mind are > hardware (knives, swords, pots, tools, harness fittings), but nomadic > people traded for all sorts of luxuries as well as mundane necessities. Are you implying that nomadic life would be impossible in the absence of a settled society? Historical evidence shows trade and conflict only where settled civilizations have existed in close proximity to nomads. It's an unequal relationship because in trade the settled people have an upper hand due to their life centered around creating or hoarding possessions, and in conflict when equipped with similar technology the nomads are prepared with a better attitude for war because they have nothing to lose. > Rocks will fall from the sky from time to time and wipe out sections > of society. If the damage can't be repaired, the level of technology > will fall, at least for a time, and settled people as well as nomadic ones > will make do with what's available. Sure, my point is that there is no need to wait for the "right" technology. Nomadic life has more to do with the mental outlook than the pocketbook. > The more nomadic the person these days, the more likely they are to > have a cell phone. A life of subjugation to settled societies. Incidentally, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadza_people http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/hadza/finkel-text Cheeni
