On the Nature of Things | Forum

The differences between armchair would be generals and real generals is always instructive:

The Brilliant Prudence of Dwight Eisenhower

the irony being that to become a real general with a proper respect for war requires ......

noddy wrote:the irony being that to become a real general with a proper respect for war requires ......

Indeed.

Still it's good to see that a few leaders are able to learn from their experiences.

Thanks for the article about Eisenhower.

Here is a video about Eisenhower's famous speech where he used the term "military industrial complex" that he coined (at least he was one of the first people who used this term.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E ... al_complex

Fred Reed hits the nail on the head. Again.

http://www.fredoneverything.net/No_Hope.shtml

Typhoon wrote:

noddy wrote:the irony being that to become a real general with a proper respect for war requires ......

Indeed.

Still it's good to see that a few leaders are able to learn from their experiences.

then they die

Fred Reed hits the nail on the head. Again.

pretty much. in defense of humans id point out the the "malthus versus techno plenty arguments" are short term versus long term arguments..

the annoying gaps in techno advances over the centuries do leave us overpopulated in the short term and the correction for this is either famine and disease or......

planctom wrote:Fred Reed hits the nail on the head. Again.

http://www.fredoneverything.net/No_Hope.shtml

Good reminder. Not the whole story though. In democracies women also gained power, a considerable 50% that may want to spread their legs for victorious knights but that also tend to want avoid war to keep the home safe and warm. Also much of the male drive to be an army, fight and conquer is channeled and dissipated in sports. Winning and losing without much blood spilled and still satisfying the biological need for combat, the horny thrill of victory.

Things do not seem going that bad:
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football and its kin are great at channeling teenage gang member energy and are a useful symbolised replacement for low level wars and gang wars, i agree with that.

empires and resources and large angry populations is another kettle of fish, thats harder to turn into a dance off and booty shake version.

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If only the desire to wage war could be channeled into infrastructure projects that would bring the undeveloped world into developing world status.

Armies of Doctors teaching people to be Paramedics. Armies of construction workers building roads. Armies building soil into tillable fields.