Originally posted by kjt1981+--> (kjt1981)But the point is - do you think that different world cultures would have developed in the way that they have if the world had been communist since day 1?[/b]
Absolutely....but unfortunately, that was never a possibility.
Barring divine intervention ( :lol: ), I can't see how it would have been possible for early civilisation (10,000 BCE onwards) to become communist....these societies simply didn't have the technological level for a functioning communist society.
If somehow this had been made possible -- perhaps aliens could have visited from another galaxy ( :lol: ) and given humans all their technological advancements -- then the world as we know it would certainly look different.
There would be no Christianity, no property laws, no Nationalism, etc. etc.
However, been as that didn't happen, I'd say given how humans found this planet, and the resources available to us, human society has, as redstar mentions, developed in a pretty deterministic manner....and the trivial matters, like sport, are pretty much flukes of history.
Originally posted by kjt1981+--> (kjt1981)....would michealangelos paintings have been the same?[/b]
One of the more trivial things Marx wrote about that has stuck in my memory are his notes on art....their in the back of my copy of The German Ideology but I think originally, they were part of some other work, possibly a Critique of Political Economy but don't quote me on that.
Anyway, Marx's reasoning, which I think was very good, was basically that we find the work of early artists so "beautiful" because it represents a kind of childish ignorance....they painted glorious Gods and Angels, because the social conditions of said era weren't developed enough (they were childlike if you will) to rubbish the idea of Gods.
Therefore, in early artwork we find a kind of childlike joy, perhaps even a desire for the days of ignorance when things were less complicated....after all, a twenty first century mind would struggle to imagine some of the things early artists came up with, because those things are quite simply bizarre.
So with respect to your original question, if the world had been communist since "day one" (via divine intervention or alien meddling <_< ) then I don't think we would have what is though of as "classical art"....because the social conditions that produced said art wouldn't have existed.
Originally posted by kjt1981
Would the brazilians be able to play Football like they do?
If one really wanted too, I'm sure that we could find many material reasons as to why Brazilian football is full of flair, British football full of long balls, and Italian football full of tactical defending. Indeed, I imagine it would be a rather interesting study.
With regards Brazilian football, I think one of the major factors in the way they play is the climate....I don't know whether it's a baseless caricature or a true representation, but it seems to me that most Brazilians learn to play football on beaches and this might hint at a possible reason as to why Brazilian football is like it is.
The style of British football however, is, in my opinion, only partly due to the climate....the other main reason for its style, or lack there of, is poor groundsmanship.
Football pitches in Britain, from park level to Premiership level, aren't very well kept, which means that stylish football becomes impossible.
So, once again with regards the original question, I'd say whatever form of society had dominated human history, football in a Brazilian climate would still be really stylish! :D
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Would the british continually come up with the best bands, with the most style :D ?
I've always felt that America in the 60's had the "best bands"....and I think France has been the leaders with regards "style" since 1789 onwards.
But really, like the art question, this all depends on the social conditions present in a society....if there had never been capitalism, there would never have been a 60's, and therefore, there would never have been 60's music.
At least not 60's music as we know it....it would likely have been invented, but would lack its "political message".
kjt1981
is not being proud of a nations heritage the same as being nationalistic, and therefore out of line with true communist thinking?
Well, it is silly....being proud of your"heritage" that is.
There are both good things and bad things in "British heritage"....personally, I prefer to steal the bits I like from various civilisations and use them as I see fit.
I certainly don't feel "proud" of this or that civilisation and I suspect most communists feel the same way as I do.