Russ

Until I listened to John Horgan, I assumed war was part of our nature. However, now I wonder if it is instead part of a greater distribution system. He mentions war first appeared in Mesopotamia. Perhaps prior, we had skirmishes amongst houses, but until humanity expanded war was not a functional option. Simply strategically impossible to search out the unknown for the sole purpose of battle. Similar to the assumption that life on other planets are peaceful. Well, maybe, until we want their resources or they want ours. That can extend to influence and control. Where will we determine their planetary influence ends and ours begins?

In summation, I have come to think that John Horgan has a valid point. War is not in our genes. But perhaps it is a distribution system that we have too easily adopted. It so seamlessly has a circular relationship with our genetic predisposition to paranoia. Perhaps it is difficult if not impossible to roll it back once those characteristics take hold in a civilization.