Paul Cooper of Fall Of Civilizations: In Conversation

[@guit156]

Thank you for this timely and thoughtful interview. I have been impressed with Mr. Cooper's Fall of Civilization series, and was delighted to find this discussion. I taught a high school level world history course in the past and wish that some of his episodes would have been available for my use. The two part youtube series on the fall of Byzantium, in particular, is a useful and accessible survey of not just Byzantium, but of the rise and fall of the empire, both east and west. His comments on border walls and the durability of any civilization are quite prescient and should receive more attention. Cheers, and thank you again.

[@paullewis2413]

In an era with continued dumbing down its very refreshing to hear intelligent and well researched podcasts such as Paul Cooper’s “Fall of Civilizations” It gives hope that our civilization isn’t yet about to meet its finality though the signs of decline are evident in many aspects.

[@ARTintersect]

Great interview! Paul Cooper's podcast is incredibly well done, I recommend it to my students! History is fascinating

[@agentsmidt3209]

Finally get to see the man, the legend. I love FOC

[@joefilter2923]

Another great show!

[@jimyoung9262]

I love Fall of Civilizations. I can't wait to see what he does with the USA

[@Robert_McGarry_Poems]

Love it. ❤

[@kyleweller1]

What I’d give for a Lex Fridman, Paul Cooper interview

[@PerryWidhalm]

The civilized social structure will always collapse because civilization is an unsustainable by-product of horticulture (then agriculture) which is a survival strategy of hunters, gatherers and scavengers. At its simplest, to survive in times of severe subsistence stress, Homo sapiens sapiens turned to grooming the landscape to increase food production. When the emergency passed the grooming of the landscape ended. But, if for any reason the grooming of landscapes continued to become horticulture the people became trapped in a subsistence Catch-22 as the more food produced and stored successfully the more the population grew until there was no way to halt the process without mass starvation. Human beings DID NOT "progress" to sedentism > agriculture > civilization. No! That is a comforting lie highly-civilized people tell themselves ... the same people who have never grown a garden or killed a deer or spent a single night alone in the wilderness.

[@davidmenasco5743]

That's a fascinating analysis. Subsistence catch-22.