The Case of Troy Davis

[--Pete]

Hi,

This is valid as long as you pretend barbarian society to be even more backwards ('fang and claw' ...).

Of course, we're lacking information on the barbarian society since they left neither writing nor monuments to inform us. Other than in the art of enameling, their technology (what little we've found) seems rather primitive; their customs (at least the little we know of them from non-barbaric societies that did leave us records) were pretty basic, centering on the tribe, a small armed core of warrior freemen, and a serf-like remainder of the population.

You're aware that in ancient Greek 'barbarian' means literally 'non-Greek', ie 'everyone but us'?

Actually, it meant those who did not speak Greek and whose language sounded like the bleating (baa baa) of a sheep. Although it can be used to mean all non-Greek speakers, usually the Mediterranean peoples were referred to individually by nation or cultural group.

Example given, there's historical evidence that the Persians had no concept of slavery, though they're claimed to have been the more backward ones.

I'd love to see this 'example'. The expressions of slavery differ greatly from culture to culture. At least at times, the Persian empire and everything and everyone in it belonged to the king. A form of feudalism, if not of slavery, with no apparent demand on the king to his subordinates.

Political science still sticks to the Greek model, replacing the Greek 'us' with the individual 'us' of given country. This works as long as you're in a small village, with some similar villages in neighbourhood, and travel speed restricted to horses at best. It won't work in the long term, when the world is just one - admittedly huge - place.

Yes, it is clear that the unification of the world is just a short time away. Look at how rapidly the Balkans are becoming one political entity; how the growing nationalist movements in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, even Wessex are strengthening the English federation; how Pakistan's separation from India, Bangladesh's separation from Pakistan, and Sri Lanka's independence movement are uniting that sub continent. And let's not forget the spirit of oneness that exists throughout sub Sahara Africa, where the tribes have joined in gleeful mutual extermination.

Why, just the continued unity in the republics of the former Soviet Union leads me to believe we'll have a unified world government in no time.

--Pete