The Case against Collapse

HT Ian Bogost. This is an interesting post on the Easter Islands part of Jared Diamond's book. It turns out that the story of ecocide is not quite right. And on the ideological force of Diamond's work, this comes quite close:

Perhaps the more recent studies of their history will help challenge the Hobbesian and pessimistic view that human nature necessarily tends towards destruction and violence.

It's why he appeals to Richard Dawkins—that and the fact that he is not a humanities scholar.