[net.politics.theory] A Paradise.

ncg@ukc.UUCP (N.C.Gale) (03/23/85)

There is a green Vale in Nepal...
The population can't be more than a couple of hundred.

The people are divided into two groups: the workers (mostly farmers),
and the priesthood of the monastary.

The first son of every family is sent to the monastary to become a
priest. The monastary receives all its provisions from the rest of
the population (they have had surplus crops every year for centuries).
The monks are all celebate - as a consequence, the population of the vale
remains approximately constant.

No government exists except for a marginal social ordering.

There is no television, no radios, and none are wanted because
  A) They are very expensive
  B) No one knows what they are for/like

No increase in living standard has been recorded for centuries.

No oprtunity exists for advancement, so nobody 'succeeds' or 'fails'.

The Vale is so isolated from the outside world as to be almost immune
to change. This means that they receive none of the benefits of
organised government, or competition in the free market.

Is this idyllic, or what?


I can't draw any profound conclusions from the existance of such a
society. It's nice to ponder, though. Maybe it has something to
do with Buddhism - 'elimination of desire'.
Nice place to retire to.




-Nigel Gale

brian@digi-g.UUCP (Merlyn Leroy) (04/01/85)

<I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition!>

In article <5006@ukc.UUCP> ncg@ukc.UUCP (Nigel Gale) writes:
>
>There is a green Vale in Nepal...
>
>...The people are divided into two groups: the workers (mostly farmers),
>and the priesthood of the monastary...
>
>...The first son of every family is sent to the monastary to become a priest...
>
>Is this idyllic, or what?
>
>-Nigel Gale

Short Answer: "or what"

Long Answer:
	The first son of every family HAS to join a celebate religious order!?
This is idyllic?  What happened to freedom of religion in this place?
Sounds like one of the more opressive places on Earth.  If you want other
people to make up your own mind for you, fine.  Just don't make up mine.

Merlyn Leroy
"...a dimension between shallow and substance, between science and
superficial, a place we call...The Usenet Zone"

kjm@ut-ngp.UUCP (Ken Montgomery) (04/03/85)

[]

From: ncg@ukc.UUCP (N.C.Gale)
>There is a green Vale in Nepal...
>The population can't be more than a couple of hundred.
>
>The people are divided into two groups: the workers (mostly farmers),
>and the priesthood of the monastary.
>
>The first son of every family is sent to the monastary to become a
>priest.

What if he doesn't want to be a priest?

> The monastary receives all its provisions from the rest of
>the population (they have had surplus crops every year for centuries).
>The monks are all celebate - as a consequence, the population of the vale
>remains approximately constant.

What if a first son doesn't want to be celibate either?

>No government exists except for a marginal social ordering.
>
>There is no television, no radios, and none are wanted because
>  A) They are very expensive
>  B) No one knows what they are for/like
>
>No increase in living standard has been recorded for centuries.
>
>No oprtunity exists for advancement, so nobody 'succeeds' or 'fails'.

Why do you equate success with advancement?

>The Vale is so isolated from the outside world as to be almost immune
>to change. This means that they receive none of the benefits of
>organised government, or competition in the free market.
>
>Is this idyllic, or what?

No, it sounds profoundly boring, and somewhat authoritarian as well.

>I can't draw any profound conclusions from the existance of such a
>society. It's nice to ponder, though. Maybe it has something to
>do with Buddhism - 'elimination of desire'.

Do the Buddists eliminate the desire to continue living, too?

>Nice place to retire to.

Boring.  (I'm a first son.  I've no desire to be either a priest
or celibate, or to live without modern technology.)

>-Nigel Gale

--
The above viewpoints are mine.  They are unrelated to
those of anyone else, including my cats and my employer.

Ken Montgomery  "Shredder-of-hapless-smurfs"
...!{ihnp4,allegra,seismo!ut-sally}!ut-ngp!kjm  [Usenet, when working]
kjm@ut-ngp.ARPA  [for Arpanauts only]