OUG,

Tribalism is very much part of the human paradigm.
There is no relevant symbolic difference between a spearpoint in Paleolithic man's world and a footy scarf in ours.
They are both symbolic and are immediately identifiable in a tribal sense, denoting whether their carriers are one of "us" or one of the "other".

Dear Poirot,

My oldest son is an anthropologist who has lived with two Brazilian peoples, the Canela in northeastern Brazil, and the Xikrin, who live near the Xingu River. Most tribes have a totemic animal which they don't eat. He has gone on hunting trips with the Xikrin. They will invite a member of a neighbouring tribe to go with them. He can eat and bring home the Xikrin's totem, and they can do the same with his. The source of identification also acts as a bonding mechanism.

While he was living with the Xikrin there was an argument about women, and part of the village moved away to set up a new village. That is the subject of his book, "Dualism and its Discontents."

David f.,

That is fascinating.
I often think that if I'd had the chance to do it over again, I would have liked to have pursued anthropology.

Have you been watching "The Human Planet" on ABC (Sunday)? I've encouraged my young son to watch it with me - mainly for him to learn that other human beings in our day and age live "totally" different lives.
It's been a real eye-opener for him seeing indigenous people relying on their knowledge to survive in their natural surroundings. One thing that has stood out is the cooperation between various members of communities and the unquestioned acceptance of gender specific roles, and their assistance with the smooth functioning of the community.

poir

ahh symbolism
yes

indeed

..good point david

this system ensures that the animals
each have a safe area

and the other tribe that preys
upon your totum..protects the one..you in turn..prey upon

we used to have the same system[as such]
where the deer..belonged to the king
living free in the for-rests

i only have the right..to the head
because its body was eaten..by predators
and the head left 'free' on the forest floor
even with its horns intact...that grow out of crowns

the preditors..are usually the law animals
they came here[there]..for a last jugment

my story goes we gave up our body
to hold off a law beast's..judgment

but thats another story

the main lesson..is by the totum system
i protect your food source
you protect mine*

hardly 'tribalism'
..as its been..re-defined today

but such is life
the word/changers are as bad a threat
as the money/changers..yet change has been made..a 'law of life'

anyhow so much more to this topic
so little mortal time left to fix things

im not sure im ready to sacrifice my life
to feed the laws canivore beast's..again

[my other totum is a single ox horn]
from when the law carnivors..held their second meeting
this time there were old carnivors..with them..so then..they took the head

[for the soft brain bits...and the eyeballs
cause the old..*without teeth..couldnt eat me-at]

they also took my tongue
so im reluctant to speak

the other vesion [duel-ism]..
goes that we were burnt on a pire
and..only the single ox horn..didnt go into the flame..

[yet still belongs to god]
hence the flame/name

lol my other totum
is an open book
[yes really]

but im talking up
what approaches a flaming
off/topic..troll

its not..who was on the grassy knoll
but who was in the drain..still it looks like
the servant..[driver]..did it...lol

Poirot

Just have to comment, I too have been watching Human Planet - and discovering just how closeted I am in western middleclass culture. It is wonderful to see people living with their environment as in the natural bridge weavers or the efforts made by a father to get his children to school - a 6 day journey over a frozen river threatened by an early spring thaw.

My thought for Anzac day is that we remember the loss that war creates, to try to think of better ways of settling differences than by destroying innocents - it is the civilians who suffer the most casualties of war. And the solders who return alive but broken in ways that carry through generations.

Yep I agree, always it was the bigger people in government that made a bigger seen on the wars. I am talking about ww1 and onwards. While us little people had to suffer for it. What disgraces me most of all that the bigger people meaning government didn't and still do not take it personally. which us especially the generation before had to suffer for it, why what for?

Talking about a fair quality I think if the government cared or cares about the nation I think they too should have took it personally or take it personally instead of generations before and generation of today? what do you think? That's my opinion in a fair term.