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Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. As intelligent as we all think we are it is a sad note to realize that we are stil

Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. As intelligent as we all think we are it is a sad note to realize that we are still in the caveman mental state of wanting the bigger stick. Will we ever turn the corner? Haven't we seen and caused enough death already? The problem isn't export controls. The problem is that we need to finally break away from the animals we think we evolved away from.

ars 14y ago
> Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. Yah, that isn't even remotely true. It's often said, but completely false. And without competition there is no life. And competition often results in war. Notice how companies that trounce all competition then go on to completely stagnate. It happens to humans too. Once you have nothing you need to fight for you don't bother doing anything. Look what happens to every major artist once they no longer work - they have lots of money, and no need to work, so they destroy their life. Look at what happens to rich kids who got their money via inheritance, with no need to work for it. Or the prototypical story of a retiree that dies within a year. It's is essential to human survival to always have to fight. I know what you are thinking: Fight for good things, and stop war. But that isn't possible, you can't split human nature that way. (Plants are the same way: Prune a plant and you will trigger massive growth.)
- robomartin 14y ago
  >> Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. > Yah, that isn't even remotely true. It's often said, but completely false. Really? You don't think that the nuclear arsenal in place around the world has the capacity to cause massive life loss on this planet? It's only a matter of time until the "bad guys" (whoever you choose to crown as such) escalate things up to bio/chem weaponry. Bio weapons are actually scarier than nukes. Don't say it won't happen. We have a proven capacity to cause untold death and destruction. The world wars and various genocides are proof enough.
  - ars 14y ago
    Compare: "destroy all life on this planet many times over" vs. "cause massive life loss on this planet" Not exactly the same thing, yet you said both. Which is it? > It's only a matter of time i.e. doesn't exist right now. So you agree with me. > Bio weapons are actually scarier than nukes. I agree. > We have a proven capacity to cause untold death and destruction. The world wars and various genocides are proof enough. In the entire history of the world the death rate from wars has NEVER been lower than it is right now. Lookup total war to see how bad it was. Compare the death rates (as a ratio of soldiers involved. Include civilians if you wish) in Iraq vs. Vietnam or WW2.
jordanthoms 14y ago
An interesting counterpoint is that we now (with the exception of declining numbers of nuclear weapons), have far more powerful weapons than we have had at any point in our history - and we are also, in the main, far more peaceful than we have ever been. Is there a causative effect there?

ars 14y ago

> Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. Yah, that isn't even remotely true. It's often said, but completely false. And without competition there is no life. And competition often results in war. Notice how companies that trounce all competition then go on to completely stagnate. It happens to humans too. Once you have nothing you need to fight for you don't bother doing anything. Look what happens to every major artist once they no longer work - they have lots of money, and no need to work, so they destroy their life. Look at what happens to rich kids who got their money via inheritance, with no need to work for it. Or the prototypical story of a retiree that dies within a year. It's is essential to human survival to always have to fight. I know what you are thinking: Fight for good things, and stop war. But that isn't possible, you can't split human nature that way. (Plants are the same way: Prune a plant and you will trigger massive growth.)

robomartin 14y ago
>> Humanity has the ability to destroy all life on this planet many times over. > Yah, that isn't even remotely true. It's often said, but completely false. Really? You don't think that the nuclear arsenal in place around the world has the capacity to cause massive life loss on this planet? It's only a matter of time until the "bad guys" (whoever you choose to crown as such) escalate things up to bio/chem weaponry. Bio weapons are actually scarier than nukes. Don't say it won't happen. We have a proven capacity to cause untold death and destruction. The world wars and various genocides are proof enough.
- ars 14y ago
  Compare: "destroy all life on this planet many times over" vs. "cause massive life loss on this planet" Not exactly the same thing, yet you said both. Which is it? > It's only a matter of time i.e. doesn't exist right now. So you agree with me. > Bio weapons are actually scarier than nukes. I agree. > We have a proven capacity to cause untold death and destruction. The world wars and various genocides are proof enough. In the entire history of the world the death rate from wars has NEVER been lower than it is right now. Lookup total war to see how bad it was. Compare the death rates (as a ratio of soldiers involved. Include civilians if you wish) in Iraq vs. Vietnam or WW2.

jordanthoms 14y ago

An interesting counterpoint is that we now (with the exception of declining numbers of nuclear weapons), have far more powerful weapons than we have had at any point in our history - and we are also, in the main, far more peaceful than we have ever been. Is there a causative effect there?