From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Sun 02 Jan 2005 - 04:14:19 GMT
I thought you might enjoy this little snip.
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001778.html
"When it comes into traditional societies, which are pretty much
defined by male control over females, it suddenly alters the character
of some of our most important relationships and decisions: marriage,
sex, births, family economics, the whole shebang. And globalization
has proven itself time and time again to empower women
disproportionately over men. That is a direct threat to the nature of
traditional societies."
Of course, empowering women (and other factors that go with the globalized
high tech life style?) has the effect of lowering the birth rate to near
replacement. (Why isn't entirely obvious, as EO Wilson says we are just
lucky.)
When that happens, and after a generation, economic growth gets ahead of
population growth. The effect of rising income per capita shuts off the
psychological traits that give rise to wars or related social
disruption. That's what happened in Northern Ireland.
The psychological traits that lead to wars evolved over the millions of
years human ancestors lived in hunter gatherer tribes. War was the way
populations stayed in balance with the ability of the ecosystem to feed
them. If you don't have the pressure of population growth, you don't start
wars. Of course you can still be attacked which is why the well being of
other tribes is important to you.
Keith Henson
PS. Memes are involved, but the actually content of the meme that whips up
warriors into jumpin' up and down, yellin' "KILL! KILL!" is not important. :-)
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/alice.html
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