Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA11960 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 1 Mar 2002 12:26:35 GMT Message-ID: <044c01c1c11c$543b44e0$0f0c073e@hppav> From: "Alan Patrick" <a.patrick@btinternet.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <LAW2-F34MhvqgStMVhE00000d9f@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Rumsfeld Says He May Drop New Office of Influence Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:20:41 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi - moving from lurking, as this seemed to require a few comments....
> The genetic need to defend one's territory against members of one's own
> species is ingrained in the DNA of just about every animal on earth. The
> funny part is, we don't defend our territory against other species, only
our
> own.
There is a fairly bouyant market in bug sprays, rat powder, and rifles for
shooting deer, birds, and other small cute furry things, spiders & snakes
are seldom welcomed with open arms. If it ain't domesticated it ain't
tolerated.
> Even the laws of most countries make allowances for people when they
defend
> "my home, my family, my children, my beliefs, my property." If you shoot
a
> stranger on the street, you go to jail for murder. If you shoot a
stranger
> in your home or while they are attacking your children, or your person, it
> is called self defense and not prosecuted.
Thats pretty unique to the US, actually. In Europe, much of Asia & Latin
America, and even most of the other ex-British colonies' legal systems this
would not be tolerated.
> Have you read Guns, Germs and Steel? Jared Diamond describes pacific
> islanders doing it. It's a universal trait that has nothing to do with
lack
> of food or social chaos. It's the duty of the alpha male of every mammal
> species I'm aware of to defend his women and his territory.
I thought Diamond's thesis was more that any species that could expand its
territory, would. Those that could defend, would do so (he does IIRC mention
peaceful humans that could not), but if they had not bred the requisite
guns, germs etc they would not succeed anyway, and that those GG&S were more
due to geographical luck than any innate humn sub-species'
superiority/inferiority.
Rgds
Alan
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