Violent crimes in various nations (from 2009)

Be sure to read the whole article. There are other factors that come into this that make the comparisons more complicated.

Other statistics I’ve seen for total crimes (including non-violent ones) show the U.S. with quite a lead. Be interesting to have someone break that down. I wonder how many are drug-related.

I also have high hopes for humanity

According to this world view, we should have all killed each other in the 1960s.

And yet, here we are.

And yet there are exceptions, many exceptions, and they are exceptions. The US has 4 million people in the Armed forces and nearly defunct Peace Corps and Americorps. The Air Force is going to spend $300 million each on 1727 fighter planes, and how much on libraries in the next few years?

There is a progression, the Hindu’s say the first 20 years of a man’s life is spent learning to live, the next 20 is spent making a living and raising a family, the third 20 is spent learning a spiritual way of life and the last 20 teaching it. It is only during the last half of life that we may start to escape the clutches of ego and in the US the culture doesn’t promote that.. It can be done, and people can help each other do that, and after a very destructive first half of my life I have dedicated myself to promoting that process in myself and others. Professionally and as an avocation. But not many people get that far. As Jesus said, “Many are called to the Father, but few come.”

And I know there is a very dark side to Man, which is ignored at one’s peril, which much be acknowledged and integrated so as to be brought under control of the whole, so as to achieve integrity. I know that very well. In a way most people who have never been hurt and hunted can possibly know.

Our roots are those of other animals, fighting to stay alive as individuals and a species, and those qualities are still back there. Witness all the warmongering, the attitude that all inequity is “out there” and none of it in us. Peel away our brains and we wind up with a reptilian stem.

Can some people overcome that? Of course. I would be the last to say they can’t. I’ve seen it. And most people don’t even acknowledge it, are perfect except for what the world makes them do. Most people can’t do it, as evidenced by their working on others rather than themselves. “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” So say those who know.

As for psychoanalyzing you, I didn’t and wouldn’t. I merely shone a light on that which you willing revealed. And you’re a very nice person, a wonderful counterpoint to someone like me who maybe trusts each person to take care of themselves more than I should, an asset to any group with which you would choose to affiliate.

And in the political arena, if you look closely my abrasiveness is always directed toward protecting the helpless from the savage side of those more powerful.

I’m sorry we couldn’t work it through to the center on this one, just wasn’t to be. And we were both on the same side. I’m done.

Everywhere. In the genes, neurons.

You state that mankind, which is comprised of every human being, are predators of the worst kind.

Tiger cubs are very cute. They kill things. They grow up to kill big things, because it’s in their genes, their neurons, everywhere.

I understand that humans are part of the animal kingdom. If this is our nature, then yes, that is what you said. I also remarked, in a rhetorical question, that you likely didn’t mean what you said.

When you seek to justify your position by making sweeping statements about the entire human race (the meaning of “mankind”), you bet I’m going to take that statement to its logical conclusion.

Human beings are capable of choice, of empathy. The social darwinism inherent in your statement denies those characteristics.

I believe in people, Bowser. I have seen them struggle and change. The vast majority of them do their best to be decent to each other. If you’re going to judge us all by a few sociopaths, you have to judge all the children by the few murderers who have been children too.

You don’t like the petard, don’t hoist it.

And for some reason, even though our bottom lines are identical, she is trying to ridicule me and misstate my position. More like my means than hers.

When she implies that I believe all children are assassins she doesn’t get to have that unchallenged any more than you would let me or I you.

Except for tactics like that we could have moved and merged our positions in a few more exchanges. As I point out, we are still on the same side, and it’s not my ridiculing her which blocked any further progress.

The argument started out as black & white. Sometimes we don’t like it when it’s continued in the same vein. *ahem*

I do appreciate that you understand I’m a little emotionally fragile just now.

Tread lightly, please.