How it all began

"Terpsichore is among the places you would enjoy visiting in the universe (Ishmael said). This was a planet (named, by the way, after the muse of dancing) where people emerged in the usual way in the community of life. For a time they lived as all others live, simply eating whatever came to hand. But after a couple of million years of living in this way, they noticed it was very easy to promote the regrowth of their favorite foods. You might say they found a few easy steps that would have this result. They didn't have to take these steps in order to stay alive, but if they took them, their favorite foods were always more readily available. These were, of course, the steps of a dance."


Moderator's edit. Please do not quote chapters or pages from someone else's material, violating their copyrights. Summarize what they say, post a paragraph or two, and then link.

[edit on 19-7-2010 by Byrd]

"Another holdout people were the Kemke, who were used to dancing just a few hours a week and who loved the leisure this lifestyle gave them. They were resolved not to let happen to them what happened to the Singe, and they stuck to their resolve. But soon the Takers came to them and said, "Look, we can't let you have all this land in the middle of our territory. You're not making efficient use of it. Either start dancing the way we dance or we're going to have to move you into one corner of your territory so we can put the rest to good use." But the Kemke refused to dance like the Takers, so the Takers came and moved them into one corner of their land, which they called a "reservation," meaning it was "reserved" for the Kemke. But the Kemke were used to getting most of their food by foraging, and their little reservation just wasn't big enough to sustain a foraging people. The Takers said to them, "That's all right, we'll keep you supplied with food. All we want you to do is stay out of the way on your reservation." So the Takers began supplying them with food. Gradually the Kemke forgot how to do their own hunting and gathering, and of course the more they forgot, the more dependent they became on the Takers. They began to feel like worthless beggars, lost all sense of self-respect, and fell into alcoholism and suicidal depression. In the end their children saw nothing on the reservation worth staying for and drifted off to start dancing ten hours a day for the Takers.


"My Ishmael" - Daniel Quinn - page 24

Against His-story, Against Leviathan

Again, please don't violate copyright.

[edit on 19-7-2010 by Byrd]

Prisoner Exchange
Petka at the bungalow
REMARKS CONCERNING THE SAVAGES OF NORTH-AMERICA
Free people
From Affluence to Anxiety
Native American Quote's
Continuum Concept: In Search of Happiness Lost Classics in Human Development: Amazon.co.uk: Jean Liedloff: Books
Hunter Gatherers And The Golden Age Of Man
A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
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The Online Green Anachy Archive
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RADICAL DISSENT
The Machine in our Heads--Glenn Parton

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Child Labor
History of Child Labour
No Worry, No When, No Want
Molding Minds
The Gospel of Consumption | Orion Magazine
What keeps the system going
CHINA
The Story of Stuff
The oil we eat: Following the food chain back to Iraq—By Richard Manning (Harper's Magazine)

I have read only the first paragraph of this awesome post and I already want to jump in and say thank you indefinetly for posting this.

And the Waddi did indeed learn about success

No words.

[edit on 19-7-2010 by randyvs]

sighs...
it did not take me long to see it was mankind your talking about in the story. humans have become so good at organizing, that all they can do is organize. organize for its own sake. organize to have power over the rest of us...

P.S. great

Call me Ishmael but I don't think it is "directed" towards all mankind. after all, not all mankind gathered those they felt "unwanted" in "reservations" (why exactly was this specific word used? It has certain ties to historic events!).

Great post OP!