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Sad fact: as long as there are humans, there will be war

Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
edited October 2010 in A Moving Train
I was just researching to see if there was ever a time period in our species' history without war. There is no known time dating back to 5000 BC where the whole world was at peace at once. :(

Given those stats, I sadly don't see a time period in the future that there ever will be either. Although, we should never stop trying.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    Paul David wrote:
    I was just researching to see if there was ever a time period in our species' history without war. There is no known time dating back to 5000 BC where the whole world was at peace at once. :(

    Given those stats, I sadly don't see a time period in the future that there ever will be either. Although, we should never stop trying.
    peace is a job. and it is tough to achieve. we just can't give up on working towards it and trying to make the world a better place for all people. it is easy to say that as long as we have qualities like envy, jealousy, greed, need for vengeance, and pride there will always be war. but i have hope that one day the people in this world will be more civil towards their neighbors and differences can be worked out diplomatically.

    i realize i sound incredibly naieve here, but i do have faith in humanity that we have the same or more beautiful qualities and capabilities than we do ugly ones....
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    I thought I was being naive thinking that there might have actually been a period in recent history where there was world peace. Not even in distant history was there such a period.

    I also believe that humans are inherently good beings, as I don't believe in evil per say. I believe good people behaving badly based on how they are taught. Only when that cycle stops can we achieve peace.

    Like I said, I do believe we should still try, no matter how enormous the task. We have no choice.
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    Paul David wrote:
    I was just researching to see if there was ever a time period in our species' history without war. There is no known time dating back to 5000 BC where the whole world was at peace at once. :(

    Given those stats, I sadly don't see a time period in the future that there ever will be either. Although, we should never stop trying.
    peace is a job. and it is tough to achieve. we just can't give up on working towards it and trying to make the world a better place for all people. it is easy to say that as long as we have qualities like envy, jealousy, greed, need for vengeance, and pride there will always be war. but i have hope that one day the people in this world will be more civil towards their neighbors and differences can be worked out diplomatically.

    i realize i sound incredibly naieve here, but i do have faith in humanity that we have the same or more beautiful qualities and capabilities than we do ugly ones....
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    Paul David wrote:
    I thought I was being naive thinking that there might have actually been a period in recent history where there was world peace. Not even in distant history was there such a period.

    I also believe that humans are inherently good beings, as I don't believe in evil per say. I believe good people behaving badly based on how they are taught. Only when that cycle stops can we achieve peace.

    Like I said, I do believe we should still try, no matter how enormous the task. We have no choice.
    no you weren't being naive thinking that. i have wondered the same thing myself. but if you look throughout history, in the ancient world it was all about controlling territory and even empire expansion. when it was tribal warfare it was all about which tribe would dominate and subjugate the others. even in ancient egypt it was to expand the empire and defend egypt from others who would want to over take it.. many times it was about making your enemies pay with their blood, vengeance was a cause. later on the causes were greed like the western expansion in america. even going back to cortez and the native americans it was about plundering their treasures for the crown and subjugating them. let us not forget the crusades where it was making people convert to your religion by the blade of a sword. war has always been for political purposes as well. there are so many causes of war throughout history and most of those are due to the evil that men do to one another. i don't believe in evil per se, but there are many acts that in my opinion have been pretty damn evil and cruel.

    i thnk that we focus too much on what divides us between cultures and countries and religions, if we focused on similarities and saw other people and other cultures as a collection of sentient human beings it might give someone pause the next time they begin a march to war. hopefully anyway...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • mysticweedmysticweed Posts: 3,710
    the planet will not last long enough for humans to evolve from the survival quest of individuals and tribes to realize that survival of our entire species is dependent upon our peaceful coexistence
    fuck 'em if they can't take a joke

    "what a long, strange trip it's been"
  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    because there has always been war does not mean there will always be war.



    you believe in evolution yeah? I do.




    its an ongoing process.



    200 years ago people didn't protest much to stop war. people did what they were told. 30 years ago protesting put a stop to a war. 8 years ago more people marched in the streets around the world to voice their opposition to war than had ever marched before, this before the war even started. these things are unheard of in human history, this many people voicing opposition to war, around the world. it can't go on forever
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    excellent point. thanks for the optimism on the subject, Commy (and Gimme).
    Commy wrote:
    because there has always been war does not mean there will always be war.



    you believe in evolution yeah? I do.




    its an ongoing process.



    200 years ago people didn't protest much to stop war. people did what they were told. 30 years ago protesting put a stop to a war. 8 years ago more people marched in the streets around the world to voice their opposition to war than had ever marched before, this before the war even started. these things are unheard of in human history, this many people voicing opposition to war, around the world. it can't go on forever
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    this planet will be around millions of years after we're gone. we may end up destroying it in the context of us being able to survive on it, but She'll be just fine. I have faith in Her.
    lettinggo wrote:
    the planet will not last long enough for humans to evolve from the survival quest of individuals and tribes to realize that survival of our entire species is dependent upon our peaceful coexistence
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    Paul David wrote:
    excellent point. thanks for the optimism on the subject, Commy (and Gimme).
    Commy wrote:
    because there has always been war does not mean there will always be war.



    you believe in evolution yeah? I do.




    its an ongoing process.



    200 years ago people didn't protest much to stop war. people did what they were told. 30 years ago protesting put a stop to a war. 8 years ago more people marched in the streets around the world to voice their opposition to war than had ever marched before, this before the war even started. these things are unheard of in human history, this many people voicing opposition to war, around the world. it can't go on forever
    no problem P.D.

    i know that sometimes it is easy to get down about shit and sometimes even feel defeated. i choose to keep fighting to say positive, because to me if you have no hope for something better, then you have no hope at all...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • cajunkiwicajunkiwi Posts: 984
    Commy wrote:
    because there has always been war does not mean there will always be war.



    you believe in evolution yeah? I do.




    its an ongoing process.



    200 years ago people didn't protest much to stop war. people did what they were told. 30 years ago protesting put a stop to a war. 8 years ago more people marched in the streets around the world to voice their opposition to war than had ever marched before, this before the war even started. these things are unheard of in human history, this many people voicing opposition to war, around the world. it can't go on forever

    I think this is where the internet is a force for good. It gives oppressed people in war-torn areas an avenue to communicate with, and learn about, the outside world. The more we learn about other cultures the more we realize we're fundamentally all the same, and the less likely we'll be to want to fight them. Unfortunately, some nations are further behind the learning curve when it comes to that.

    This may just be my blind optimism here, but I think that the world wide web is a great thing that can bring people together and may end up doing more for world peace than any politician or beauty queen ever will. Sure it gives the lunatic fringe a place to assemble and spout bullshit, but it also unifies the more level-headed majority and lets them know that the while the lunatics may get the most TV air time, at the end of the day they're nothing more than a pathetic minority.
    And I listen for the voice inside my head... nothing. I'll do this one myself.
  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    cajunkiwi wrote:
    Commy wrote:
    because there has always been war does not mean there will always be war.



    you believe in evolution yeah? I do.




    its an ongoing process.



    200 years ago people didn't protest much to stop war. people did what they were told. 30 years ago protesting put a stop to a war. 8 years ago more people marched in the streets around the world to voice their opposition to war than had ever marched before, this before the war even started. these things are unheard of in human history, this many people voicing opposition to war, around the world. it can't go on forever

    I think this is where the internet is a force for good. It gives oppressed people in war-torn areas an avenue to communicate with, and learn about, the outside world. The more we learn about other cultures the more we realize we're fundamentally all the same, and the less likely we'll be to want to fight them. Unfortunately, some nations are further behind the learning curve when it comes to that.

    This may just be my blind optimism here, but I think that the world wide web is a great thing that can bring people together and may end up doing more for world peace than any politician or beauty queen ever will. Sure it gives the lunatic fringe a place to assemble and spout bullshit, but it also unifies the more level-headed majority and lets them know that the while the lunatics may get the most TV air time, at the end of the day they're nothing more than a pathetic minority.

    yes organizing has become much easier than it was even 15 years ago.


    and that's key. if the authorites faced an organized citezenry they have no chance. i 'm with you on this, it IS a good thing.
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