but

in animals who are not in famine, and not 'meat drunk,' as I wrote about in Women Who Run With the Wolves, they kill only for as much food needed. Not slaughter far out from own terrain. Fights over close in territory sometimes, certainly to protect pups and often mate. But extremely rare seeking resource at far far distance, unless environs destroyed… usually, rather, adapting to the home terrain and whatever its resources are.

Invent anything and some will use broadly for ill, but also good. True again. The good gets less press. But it is not less, it is often unseen.

you hit it: a more effective peace is to consider trajectories, long, short, and unintended effects …before acting on facts and insights… in a word, consciousness

that's where your, my, and others hopes flow most stongly. Imperfectly perfect striving toward consciousness trumps thoughtless and reckless any day.

We can be frightened and strong at the same time runasim. I think you and many others who often comment here and at other places I file my columns, are indeed exactly both.

dr.e

In thinking about war as a state of mind, I found myself returning once again to the theme of evolution and the progression from the animal instict to kill in order to eat to killing for any number of reasons.
Is it in our DNA?

Invent steel, and man forges swrods.
Create atomic energy, and man develops super bombs
Create the Internet, and man uses it for cyber attacks, our virtual killing..

The evidence does not speak well for how we use our superior (to beasts) brain power.
But we have choice on a level far above that of animals. We can contemplate death, not just experience it. We can imagine suffering, not just experience it.
Why don't we use our ability to contemplate, to think, to make better choices?
I don't unerstand. it.

Right now, I think peace is much easier to demand than to deliver. Laying down our arms in Iraq is no guarantee that violence will stop. Since we unleashed the dogs of war, should we not take some responsibility for putting them back in cages?
Everyone is reading tea leaves as to what will happen if we do this or do that.
I envy those who are absolutely sure one way or the other..
.
I think the war state of mind has done its work on me.
I'm just afraid.