Has war ever worked?

[jamison2000e]

There seem to be far to many elaborate schemes bulit around money and power in the world. ...but at the same time war has probably helped in some way right? Technology moves fast partly because of war. Maby now we can now make war more about moving things along, like knowledge, compassion and an acceptance of diversity.

[labelwench]

For those of you who know me not, I now play the Devil's Advocate, and speak of war differently than in my earlier posts.

In watching nature's children, plants and animals, there is an on-going conflict, which escalates in the scarcity of resources.

Even when resources are plentiful, there is competition.

In the case of seeds, most plants scatter many, which, once germinated, compete to the death for the available sunlight, water and nutrition. Gardeners know this well, and plant and thin to maximize the production of their crop.

Horses are a herd animal and a prey species, with a most carefully observed hierarchy. While horses do not frequently battle to the death, the challenges over the harem of mares often results in injury, sometimes disablingly so. Stallions are often intolerant of young colts and may savage them, if they stray from the protection of the mare.

Dogs are a pack animal and a predator, with a slightly omnivourous tendency, ingesting more plants than many people might guess. Once again, theirs is a hierarchy which is maintained strictly, through challenges over food, females and territory, although not neccessarily in that order of priority.

In times of scarce resources, females will have smaller litters and predators will hunt predators when faced with starvation. As example, in Northern B.C., during one year following the die-off of the arctic varying hare, a main player in the food chain, wolves were coming into communities and tearing sled dogs off of their tether chains, leaving only the head behind. Bears were hunting the smaller predators, and just one mile from my home, a grizzly bear killed a black bear and was feeding on it. Within a subdivision, there was only one response to this situation, as it posed a serious threat to the human population.

War, it seems, is part of evolution, from these observations.

[Profpat]

But we are learning and evolving, and maybe someday we can all play in peace in our global sandbox. Than again maybe not.

[labelwench]

Based on the extrapolation of several sets of numbers, we are fast approaching the carrying capacity of the habitable portions of this planet.

Human conflict has ever been over the control of territory and resources, religion and females, once again, not neccessarily in that order.

Fresh water.

Nutrition.

Fossils Fuels.

Alternate Energy.

For all of our current knowledge and ability, the above are not evenly distributed, and it would seem unlikely that such equality shall come about anytime soon.

The math does not work out well, not very well at all.

[Profpat]

It appears to me mankind has a challenge. A situation that can best be resolved by working together. By recognizing we are all in ONE sandbox, and it's the only sandbox, in the whole universe.

I'm amazed there is a water shortage in the world when we have the oceans, ( where is science ), that there is an energy shortage when we have the sun.

I think the mind set has been on the negative and not on the positive. Rather than viewing it as a redistribution of scarce resources, we should view it as a challenge of managing abundance. Food, clothing, shelter, medical care, should be a given for every person. And with God's blessing, man and the earth can achieve that.

[jamison2000e]

I think that as a species if we become smart enough worldwide to realize war doesn’t work, we may also come to understand that the race will still survive, even without some instincts and primitive drives.

[racecar]

There is always war. War with the neighbors, war with the self, war with nature, holy wars, war on drugs, war, war, war. It's a constant battle. Why are we really fighting?

For mother's day I made my step mother strawberry shortcake (with angel food cake, not biscuits) and I made my mom pecan sandies (nut cookies). Now I laugh because my step mother is a little more angelic and my mom is really nutty.
(Didn't do it on purpose)

Over the winter my mother went O-F-F her rocker at the neighbor over snowplowing issues.? She can get p.o.'d at just about anything. Fighter? YES.

Are some of us more apt to be fighters and some of us more apt to be lovers?

I think war must work in some way as it seems to get people what they think they want.

[labelwench]

I think war must work in some way as it seems to get people what they think they want.
Originally posted by racecar.

The above statement makes a very interesting point.

"The Law of the Jungle, little animals don't mess with the big animals."

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease."

"Do unto others before they do unto you."

Most people have heard one or all of the above quotes, whether they support same or otherwise.

Granted that life can be a struggle and we often must push ourselves to greater effort, "fighting" the suggestion to submit to whatever insult or challenge the day may offer. The instinct for conflict and meeting it head on is likely embedded in our genes.

However, by rewarding aggressive behaviour, we are reinforcing this nature and ensuring that it has opportunity to propagate.

Neither would we want the pendulum to swing so far that we lose the very nature that enables us to meet the challenges of survival.

Our future challenge lies in competing to harmonize our needs for survival with the needs of the environment that offers us the opportunity for existence.

Evolution, if it is to continue in our species, dictates that we now must succeed by coming to terms with the very essence of our nature.

Interesting times, indeed.