content: Herman just close his eyes for many of the propphetic pessimistic insights that he criticizes.The rich nations of the world are acting like ancient usurers, lending money to the desperate poor on terms that cannot possibly be met and, thus, steadily acquiring more and more control over the lives and assets of the poor.But, are basic rights of human existence confined to those civilized societies wealthy enough to afford them? Everyone's values are defined by what they will tolerate when it is done to others.Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor. - Arnold Toynbee