>Most countries are representative democracies, and it's more difficult for leaders to go into a war. I agree representative democracies are far less likely to

>Most countries are representative democracies, and it's more difficult for leaders to go into a war. I agree representative democracies are far less likely to go to war. I also don't think war is likely anytime in the present era. On the other hand, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are not representative democracies. They represent a fair portion of earth's landmass, population, and potential destructive power. I'd say the trend towards democracy has already peaked, and authoritarian governments are on the rise. >As for the tribal argument, I think the "nation state" is dying. I think we have very different worldviews on this subject, so a debate isn't going to be productive. But from where I'm coming from, it's easy to be idealistic when we're living in a golden age of peace and prosperity (despite the great recession). I'm more pessimistic about humanity in times of scarcity, disasters, and conflict. > There's also the argument that the world is more united these days (particularly thanks to the European Union and somewhat because of United Nations). I truly hope post-WWII institutions like these continue to have force for as long as possible. I think the world is safe from major war as long as this continues. But eventually, be it 50 years or 500 hundred years, they will fall.