How to Prevent Wars

Introduction

When I stood in the darkness of a railway waggon that had carried Jews to the concentration camps to be industrially murdered, I found the horror of being a human being too much to bare. I turned and ran. From then on, like many who have experienced war, I tried not to think about it and certainly never talked about it. But the experience remained.

Then came covid and the lock downs. For the first time in my life, I was stuck indoors and unable to explore the world as I pleased and I was bored. With all the fear, panic and talk of death in the air, I thought I might write something of what I had learnt during my life, so that others might read something useful, and perhaps my life wouldn’t have been a completely self indulgent (but enjoyable) waste of time.

Know Your Self

The first essay was “A history of the world of the World in a Single Object” in which that waggon resurfaced. Whilst shaking and crying with emotion. I let my mind and imagination run free and emptied  out what was within. What was it like to be an ordinary person on that train, why didn’t they resist, why did they let themselves be herded meekly like sheep onto those damn waggons? Then I imagined the guards. What motivated them to partake in such behaviour. Surely they knew what was going on - but what would I have done in their shoes?

The deep dark horrible truth is that I would have done exactly the same as them, and herded the Jews onto the waggon. It’s a horrible truth, and it still upsets me to write it now. I would have taken the easy option, not stood up to power, not challenged orders and invented a false truth that justified doing something that was terribly wrong. Herding Jews was much better for me than fighting on the Russian front, much better than being shot for disobeying orders, much better than having my family threatened by thugs. So I would have chosen the selfish easy path for myself, not the correct path that would have benefited the many.

I’m deeply ashamed of who I’m. But is this just my personal problem?   

Well from what I’ve read of history, ever since people could write it’s been wars, misery, destruction, slavery, rape and murder. Tribe fighting tribe, nation fighting nation, empires against empire. religious wars, civil wars, right up to present. Historians continue to chew over the violence and tragedy  without any emotional empathy for the people of the time and without any imagination of what it was like. We too, sit watching the news while seeing tanks blown up, homes destroyed, lives wrecked and then we switch off and watch cat videos and worry about our fuel bills. We choose not to think. We choose not to look into the waggon and face up to the fact that we all have the capacity to permit or do evil within us. (see Rebecca Myers work with violent prisoners)

Is this how its going to be forever? Will it be wars forever more, as long as humans exist? The current evidence is Yes.  It would appear it is human nature to do what is easiest for the self and not what is morally right. If we carry on as we are, ie choose the easy path, not the morally correct path that would benefit all, the future looks bleak or maybe non existent for humans. (Perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. The planet will settle back into equilibrium and the next civilization to develop won’t have fossil fuels available because we will have used them all up!)

(See also the experiments of Milgram 1963 which explored humans ingrained trait of following orders, although my interpretation (unscientifically tested) is that humans choose, regardless of others, the path of least discomfort or maximum gain for themselves, especially when not genetically, culturally or geographically related to those others. Is this not the tactic of Trump and Putin - when someone challenges them they take legal action or arrest them and the challenger soon backs down),

Seek first to Understand

If you have read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, you will have recognised the resonances with his Congo and my waggon. Conrad saw the world as a giant absurd machine that keeps spewing out utter madness, desolation and despair and all we can do is stand and stare, powerless to turn it off or stop it. Voltaire thought similar, in Candide he concludes we should all hide in our gardens. Well I agree that the world is absurd, but I don’t agree that we are powerless to change it. The world is absurd because people do absurd things, and we stand by and let them. If we could understand human nature, and why wars are fought we can use this knowledge coupled with the power of the internet, to disseminate ideas and bring about immense change and a much better future world. The Enlightenment happened after the printing press was invented, so lets get the second enlightenment underway using the world wide web.

So what is a human? Like all life forms, humans are programmed to firstly survive, secondly reproduce successfully, and additionally, as we get older, to help bring up successful grand kids and community youngsters. Then we die because  the genetic mutations that affect old age cannot be weeded out by natural selection. And that’s it. Live, have kids, hang about to help, die. So why fight wars?

[Religion says this life is preparation for the next, but to me this idea is absurd. Once your body and brain stop functioning, that’s it, your time is up. So promoting atheism, gets rid of religious wars for starters. See my essay “Neurodegenerative diseases disprove the existence of a Soul and afterlife”  on my blog or Richard Dawkins excellent book “The God Delusion“. ]  
 
For most surviving is easily achievable. Because we live in social groups, we have the support of  parents and others that give mutual aid, food, education, healthcare and good governance that maintains law and order in a world of plenty. Humans have been known to fight just to survive, when resources such as food and water are in scarce supply and this will become a bigger problem in the future as global warming brings about rapid environmental change, However adaptation, migration and sharing of resources will reduce the risk of these types of wars, and people are in less of a position to fight when low on the basics of life. No, the serious  problems start when you have to find a mate to successfully reproduce. And this means competing with other human beings, whether you are male or female.

Males want to reproduce with the most beautiful, healthy, intelligent caring wealthy mother they can find so that their offspring are also attractive and their genes will be successfully reproduced down the eons. Also because the woman carries the child, it pays for males to fertilise as many women as possible to increase the chances of genes continuing into future generation. With men it’s quantity first, quality second.. Females want similar but because of the long time and resources it takes for mothers to bring up children, they want a long term, stable, well provisioned home with a caring father who will stick around to help in the years to come. (I can hear feminists howling, but I’m taking a biological view point to get at fundamental human motivations, stripped of cultural overtones). Also once females have got a good man and home for the kids, they can later have flings with sexy men (who are going for quantity) and this explains affairs after the first batch of kids is successfully being reared. (And why they continue to make themselves attractive after settling down with a Steady Eddie sort of chap!).

So we have males competing with males for as many of the best females as they can bed, and females competing with females for the best fathers, with a bit on the side to spice things up later.

What’s this got to do with war?.

Well I say that males competing with males leads to violence and war, as they fight to get the most wealth, power and status, which means they are in the best position to provide stable, well provisioned homes for the kids. What was Elizabeth Bennetts reaction when she went around Pemberly? Have you seen a young woman's face light up when she walks around a rich mans house? Is she thinking “I can fill this place up with kids?” Well I’m not a woman so what do I know and I accept this is a gross over simplification of humans who are very complex confusing creatures. However, if you are a man who doesn’t have wealth power and status, rather than work hard to get it, why not inspire others to come and fight and take it from those who do. “Lets all go on a Viking raid, it will be fun and exciting” As a young man (who knew nothing of war) I  would have gone. The stakes are high, you might get killed, but the potential rewards are huge - a palace and harem, servants, and all the pleasures of life. (Religious leaders con men to fight wars saying they will get this reward in the next life, whilst they continue to enjoy the pleasures of this one. It‘s unbelievable people still fall for it!).

Of course, if you are a man who already has wealth power and status, but are afraid of losing it, war is a means of holding on to power. Doesn’t this explain the current Ukraine / Russia war with Putin (whose current girl friend is a beautiful gold medal winning gymnast with excellent genes!) losing popularity and power and so launches an attack, that if successful will be popular, as his 2014 annexation of Crimea was. (Poor Ukraine - it should have kept it’s nukes).

Wealth, status and power are men’s peacocks tails that attract the opposite sex and war is a short cut to obtain them. And women permit wars because they want a share of the booty and the perceived protection of violent men.  Would men go to war if all women shunned them and denied them sex, I don’t think so. (But they might go to war to rape instead - horrid thought)

How to stop wars - 1) Religious wars

To stop religious wars, actively promote atheism  Religious people with deep beliefs will be offended but I am offended that they expect people to believe made up stories without evidence and usually forbid the teaching of other alternatives to children. It will be forever impossible to know what happens after death, because you can’t communicate with a dead person, but that is not an excuse to make up a load of stories to fill in for what is unknowable. There would be a danger of starting a new war of religion between believers and atheists, so education of the alternatives to religion is the answer and have faith that people will decide what makes more sense. There is also a danger of losing all of the wisdom and good things that the Worlds religions do but I don’t see that you have to believe in God or an afterlife to be wise and do good in the world. Educate people of humans natural selfish behaviour, but show them how much better the world would be if every one helped each other to be happy.

Once people accept there is no afterlife (which is a comforting but imagined idea) or a God to take care of things, they will value their lives much more and also the lives of others. Our Lives are a precious rare fragile thing of immense value and not something to be risked in a destructive war. We are all stuck on this planet together and we have to make it work. No greater power or being is helping or coming to help..

How to Stop wars - 2) Wars due to scarcity of resources.

As discussed above, humans must share resources, but not be greedy in their requests. Controlled migration must be accepted by every nation but we must accept that completely un controlled migration could cause more problems than it solves. We cannot  ignore geographical and cultural differences. (These are my Preliminary thoughts on migration - ignorance factor high!)

How to stop wars - 3) Wars to grab power.ie invasions and civil wars

 A) Democratic countries are less likely to go to war, as leaders have less power to order people around, so promotion of democracy must be continued. The uncensored internet will be a major player in getting rid of authoritarian regimes such as the Chinese Communist Party, which is a hang over from the last century, I call for the cutting of all trade with China because the CCP only stays in power because China is getting richer and the lives of the Chinese are improving. As soon as standards of living start to fall the Chinese will be looking for an alternative to the outdated ideas of the CCP. A peaceful change over is unlikely but not impossible, given the wise Chinese leadership that they possess in abundance if only it was given a chance. (An explanation for my pro democracy bias see “Why the West is Best and the evidence to Prove it” on trevorprew.blog.com
b) Promote Governments to take a longer term view. There is too much crisis management and not enough focus on important but not urgent matters. Governments should sign up to UNESCOs declaration of Responsibilities of current generations towards future generations. (Read the excellent 7 habits of highly effective people by Steven Covey If you haven’t already - concentrate equally on the important but not urgent,  as well as the urgent matters)
c) The idea that soldiers have no obligation to obey orders that are not for the defense of their country or are not morally right must be promoted. This will make doing the right thing easier and reduce the power of war mongering leaders to order people about. The UN should add something to the declaration of human rights, and see how authoritarian states howl in protest. However it will remain a personal responsibility to stand up to authority, and social networks must be used for brave people to stand together. This is why authoritarian states control/shut down the internet at the first sign of trouble.
d) Women must make it absolutely clear that they will have nothing to do with men who go to war or, promote war or violence in any way. It must be shameful to obtain wealth, power and status by violent means and clearly expressed that it is any way sexy..  This principal could also be used to reduce knife and gun culture. Real men don’t need weapon to solve their problems, weapons are not sexy.
e) In cases of civil war, which are more complex problems , use of violence must be condemned and arms sales halted. De-escalation and a return to political democratic processes should be encouraged by sending in overwhelming peace keeping forces or supporting the pro democratic side. What would have happened if the West went in to Syria? The second Iraq war and  Afghan war were a mistake by the west but so was not getting involved in the Arab spring, which degenerated into war that continues to this day. It may be that you just have to let all sides fight it out until they realize the futility of war but make it clear full support will be available to a democracy after the fighting is over. .
f) If an invasion  happens, all countries of the world, all the peoples of the world must come to the aid of the attacked, and, without escalating the violence, stand with and fully support that country  with hard hitting sanctions and military aid. Those inside the attacking country must do what ever is in their power to show that they do not agree with the violence. Protest on line and in the streets, hold vigils at dead pacifists graves, make it clear that the vast majority love peace. Acting together the violent oppressor can be faced down. Deign a warmonger the power and status they crave and they will back down no matter how high and mighty they think they are. A flood of disapproval will wash them away.
See my essay “Putin Craves social acceptability” on trevorprew.blogspot.com

In Summary

Wars happen because men want to be sexy and attractive to women, and women find wealthy, powerful, high status men sexy. . War provides an easy way to get the wealth, power status and sex. To stop wars change the culture - wars are not sexy. Show the horror.

To stop wars, recognise that humans are social animals that make selfish decisions for the benefit of themselves or their social group, even if they are morally wrong. They obey orders from their group leaders so they stay accepted by the group and thus maintain or increase their status,  Humans, and males in particular, crave social approval and without it they are nothing and unlikely to get much sex. So deign violent warmongers the approval and status they crave and we will have a peaceful world.

Act today. Make the world a better place.
 
Footnote
The  style of this essay may be unusual to many. My approach is as follows.

a) Examine my own behaviour and what motivates it. ie know myself. 

b) Assuming that I'm just a normal typical human, I assume that my behaviour and motivations apply to others. Therefore find and present evidence that confirms this assumption. ie Seek first to understand.

c) Scale up this behaviour and the motivations behind it to examine if they apply to nations and globally in differing cultures . The assumption is that people are behind world events and all people are basically the same. From my travels and reading, I think this is so.

d) Assuming a) to c) are the true, use this knowledge and understanding, for a practical purpose ie change the world, stop wars. 

Upon reading d) you may think I'm mad, and I would agree it sounds crazy on the face of it. However, the rewards are so high ie a world without war, and my life so insignificant, that I'm 100% committed. Whats to lose? 

If people don't like my ideas, but I'm right, I predict I will be rejected, threatened, portrayed as mad, locked up as insane, bumped off (the ultimate from of group punishment). But so what, I'm old and I've had a great life. If I'm  wrong, I will be ignored, perhaps laughed at, but I've risen above group approval, so that doesn't matter either.

It's absolutely fantastic to be so free!

 

Freedom Loving democrats Take Heart

 Recently, I’ve read in the press several letters and articles asking if this is the end of the enlightenment, or is democracy a passing fad. It certainly would appear so if you follow world events such as the failure of the Arab Spring, the increasing power of authoritarian regimes and the rise of Trump in America. Well, despite all the gloom for Democratic Liberals, I’m confident that the underlining trend is positive and although the road is currently bumpy, the world WILL emerge a better place. But we must endeavour to get there as rapidly as possible to minimise the harm to humanity.

The causes of the these rough times are rapid technological change, generational echoes  and globalization. (I’ve left out environmental change for now, as the full impact has yet to hit).

The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, is the  son of Communist revolutionary Xi Zhongxun, a member of China’s red aristocracy. He grew up in a family with strong roots in the Party and it’s ideals of a Socialist state providing for the good of all the people. However, with the relaxing of economic controls in the 1980’s, and globalisation opening up  worldwide markets, hard working Chinese entrepreneurs took full advantage and made themselves and China rich. This isn’t what Xi’s hero’s  fought the revolution for. Currently he is trying to get capitalism under control so that all of China can fairly develop to be the socialist super power the party has always dreamt of (with the Party on top living in sumptuous luxury)  The difficulty he faces is that to do this, he needs free thinking, richly rewarded, unrestricted capitalists, not state controlled business’ shackled by meddling corrupt party members. So what will happen in China? As we are seeing, covid and other regulations are slowing growth rates and the people are getting restless. If the Chinese Communist Party starts to be seen as the cause of this slow down, capitalism and more freedoms will be back on the table. Unfortunately Xi Jinping is currently using Military sabre rattling to paper over the cracks in his policies. The west must not over react, but be patient and let the cracks get bigger.

Similarly in Russia, Putin is an ageing echo of the past century. As he was losing popularity with his own people and as he has no intention of giving up power, he cracked down on the opposition, stamped out dissent and came up with a scheme to make him popular again, namely take over Ukraine and recreate the Russia Empire.. The only problem is, his military isn’t up to the job of overcoming highly motivated Ukrainians and he underestimated the western reaction, which hasn’t forgotten what happened when Hitler started invading neighbouring countries.  Also eastern Europeans and Russians have had 30 plus years of western freedoms and few want to go back to Soviet times, so Putin is in a very deep pit of his own making. As he continues to dig, the west must help the Ukrainians and freedom loving Russians, not to appease Putin but bury him and is authoritarian experiment once and for all. Russian joining the EU in 20 twenty years time? No lets make it 10 years.

Trump continues to worry liberals despite losing the last election. Will he run in 2024? Of course he will, he loves the adulation. He’s addicted to it. But the many criminal investigations against him will eventually catch up with him and then America will have to decide if they want a criminal in charge. Currently many love Trump and love is blind but hopefully they will do as we did in Britain. We got rid of our leader because he had a few knees ups, which were outlawed as deadly covid spreading events at the time. Strong men leaders always overstep the mark as they have no control over their egos.

And what is magnifying  all this global mayhem - the internet. It is allowing anyone with a computer or mobile to state their opinion, whether genuine or deceitful and have it instantly available, translated to any where in the world. Anybody at the touch of a few buttons can obtain information from others and chip in with their comments too. We are in the early stages of this world wide conversation, and it's not going to be possible to turned it off now, there is no going back. Each and every citizen of the world is capable of telling their thoughts, filming their experiences and sharing them with who ever is interested in reading or viewing. The internet is showing us the world as it really is, not as a few want it to be seen.

What has been the early results of this tech revolution? Well authoritarian regimes, who like telling their people only what they would like them to hear, hate it. Hence China’s massive attempts to control the internet. But they can’t get rid of it because they love the power it gives them to snoop on peoples private lives so they can arrest any hint of opposition. However in the long run people expressing their views online curbs their power, as right is might not might is right. There are many examples of people protesting on line in China, but after an initial crack down, the party takes note and sorts out the protesters concerns. This trend will only increase as people realise it gets results.

Another early effect is that extremists, who always shout the loudest (often when holding a gun), embraced the internet to spread their views and encouraged others to join them. However in the long run the exposure they get back fires as the flaws in their ideas are examined and exposed for what they are, out dated historic rubbish which has no place in a globalised world of freely mixing people and ideas. No wonder they hate the west so much - their beliefs are doomed once the next generation, who love the internet and global travel, replace them. .

 So Liberal, freedom loving democrats of the world do not despair. Continue to shout out our values. The West is not perfect but better than alternatives. That is why people the world over want to come and live and work here. More people are leaving Russia and China than arriving. Who wants to live in Belarus or North Korea? Why do people risk their lives to enter the USA or cross the Channel. This is the reality of the World politics.

People Choose freedom not oppression. Truths withstand lies. Respect is better than hate.

How to Stop A Tyrant Part 2

 Human beings, which can only thrive in social groups, have a fundamental need for approval by their community. The threat of being thrown out of your group, because it disapproves of something you said or did usually leads to you apologising and backing down to ensure that your membership continues. Ostracism is woeful, as Ovid in exile found out.

Why do Authoritarian states and dictatorships hold elections and referendums, even when they have no intention of releasing their grip on power? Why do they bother? The answer is because, it is a way of  showing to their Social group, which is other nations and their own people, that they are justified in their behaviour and policies. It maintains the delusion that they are democratic and acting correctly, so are immune from criticism and should continue in power. They too, don’t want to be thrown out of the international group .

                                             
So rigged elections continue around the world, even though the results are predetermined, in Hong Kong, China, Belarus, Russian occupied Ukraine. Social acceptance is essential, regardless of the voters point of view.

Putin craves social acceptance and this explains why he writes to North Korea (a minor poor country), sends his second in command on tour to African Countries (to justify his actions), craves the friendship of China (who‘s system he is copies), allows grain shipments from Ukraine (which was making him unpopular in neutral countries), permits UN inspection of a Nuclear plant in a War Zone, (he would be blamed for any nuclear disaster) and wants history to remember him as Peter the Great (social acceptance forever).

Even China, craves acceptance and respect from the world, it wants it’s political system to be recognised world wide as the best. it’s a shame that currently, it wants to demonstrate this by military force. If China really did have the greatest political system, countries like Taiwan would be queuing up to be it’s friend, given the size of its market.

A while ago I asked “How do you stop a tyrant who points a gun in your face?”

The answer, is for all your numerous friends to bravely stand beside you and shame the tyrant into standing down. Deny the tyrant social acceptance.

In the same way it is vitally important that the World, which includes Countries, Companies, Organisations, Oligarchs, people, you, me, everyone, to continue to stand together and shout clearly and loudly “No, this is not acceptable, stop or be forever be excluded”. 

So do whatever you can, write, email, tweet, donate, lobby, demonstrate, support etc etc DENY SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE.

The alternative is for the shooting to escalate.         

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An example from history would be the English Tyrant King John, who was brought under control when most of the English barons ganged up on him and forced the signing of the Magna Carta. His social group rejected his lawlessness and taxes. Perhaps the Russian Oligarchs or army could do us all a favour and get Putin under control and make him sign a Russian equivalent!

Putin The Coward

 I enjoyed Boris Johnson saying that Putin’s actions were the perfect example of Toxic Masculinity, where Putin projects an image of “crazy macho” which results in harmful behaviour.  

Real men, don’t need to project an image. The genuine article shines through by their brave actions, unshakable confidence and strength of mind. Based on the principles of integrity, honesty  and selflessness, true manly characteristics are soon recognised by others, earning respect and admiration.                                 
        
Putin is not a real man, which is why he has to strut about bare chested pretending. Putin is vane, insecure and scared, which is why Boris’ comments resulted in the UK Ambassador in Moscow being called to the Kremlin for an official dressing down. The truth hurts doesn’t it?

Putin is also a coward. During the covid pandemic he hid away afraid to come out and whilst he says he has had the vaccine, he did not get jabbed in front of the TV cameras as the other world leaders have done. He is also a coward, because rather than take on his political opponents, he gets his agents to poison them, as he did with Alexey Navalny. He is a coward because he hides the truth of the war in Ukraine from his own people, because he knows that, if they could see what is really happening, that their brave sons are dying for his vanity and an imagined cause based on a reality that no longer exists, they would not agree. He's so scared of his own people, he can't even call a war a war, but says it's a special military operation, and so hides behind confusing words. He clamps down on freedom of speech, locking up protesters and internet users because he knows he has no valid argument to defend his nonsense that the west wants to destroy Russia.

Putin says he admires Peter the Great and would  also like to be remembered as “A Great”. Well perhaps he should do as the British hero Lord Nelson did. He should go to Ukraine, meet his brave soldiers fighting his war, talk to them, thank them and stand with them in the heat of battle. He should be prepared to die for what he believes in and maybe even fall with this troops whilst leading them to victory and glory. If this were to happen, the Russian People would then surely bury him as “Putin the Great“.

But I doubt if he will go to Ukraine. “Putin the Coward” will stay in Moscow.           Cowards always do what is easiest for them, and avoid the more difficult correct course of action.

Post script - Putin, one year after the war was started has finally visited Ukraine. He drove about Maripol at night and visited some buildings that are being rebuild. I'm not sure what he would have seen in the darkness, but perhaps Xi made him go to see the reality of his war before he would meet him.

Fossil Fuels are as bad as the Slave Trade

 

Although slavery, the cheapest form of labour, has been used by all human cultures through out history, today it is recognised as being morally wrong, against fundamental human rights and is illegal worldwide. When discovered, modern instances of slavery are rightly met with outrage and deemed indefensible. Because of the harm and suffering it causes, economics doesn't justify slavery any more.

Likewise, in the very near future, the use of environmentally damaging fossil fuels will soon be seen  in a similar way. Because of the damage they do to the climate, planet, and therefore ourselves, the use of  cheap energy from fossil fuels will be seen as morally wrong and indefensible. Economics doesn't justify global warming.

Soon it will not be statues of people who got rich using slaves that will be torn down, but it will be the memorials to the inventors of cars, planes and the creators of the industrial revolution that will be frowned upon with embarrassment and disbelief. Soon people will look at relics of the oil, coal and gas industries with enlightened puzzlement and ask "What were they thinking? Why did they choose to ignore the harm they were doing? Why didn’t they stop wrecking our world?”.

This change of attitude has already started, but requires more people to do the right thing and not be like those slave owners, who once  chose to ignore the harm done to others, because it was the cheapest way for them to profit.  

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Another change of attitude that is needed is for us to be honest. When we in the west ask "how are we going to stop climate change?" We should acknowledge that what we are really asking is "how are we going to stop climate change, without effecting my lifestyle? 

The first question is easy to answer - stop burning fossil fuels. The Second question has currently has no answer, as green alternatives are not immediately available with out massive investment.

 

Neurodegenerative Diseases disprove the existance of a Soul and afterlife

 The concept of having a Soul, a spirit, or immaterial part of you that is separate to your body, is fundamental to the idea that there is an afterlife or reincarnation. In order to go to heaven, (or hell), or keep coming back to life for the rest of eternity, it is assumed that your soul or the essential essence of your uniqueness, continues  after your physical body has rotted away and turned to dust.

This idea of a soul is fundamental to the worlds religions, who say that your life on earth is preparation for the next. Be good now,  and after death reap the rewards for eternity. We must earn those “pennies in heaven” as my mother used to say. The idea has attractions for everyone. Individuals, even the lowly can have a great afterlife, Rulers get compliant subjects, and Priests get status and perks too.

But knowing what happens to you after death is unknowable and always will be. Communication between dead people and living people has never happened and never will, despite all the ghost stories and séances held. Whether you believe in a soul and life after death or not, it is impossible. You can imagine a wonderful afterlife, but imagining something, is not proof of its existence. Neither is the fact that nearly every human being that has ever lived believed in an afterlife make it true either. It just means that human beings find the idea of life after death attractive and it is comforting to think that death is not the end of everything we are. Also, belief in a soul and an afterlife also means our ordinary lives are not a waste of time, even if  they have been hard and joyless lives.

Peoples recent experiences have lead me to conclude that there is no such thing as a soul, and so there can be no such thing as an afterlife. Because of modern medical knowledge and accessible high quality  health care,  more and more people are living far longer than at any previous time in history. Whilst this is wonderful progress for humanity, the down side is that we are now exposing ourselves  to new forms of dying, such as neurodegenerative diseases of the brain. Today, we can keep our bodies going far longer than our deteriorating brains, because the ongoing death of neurons is currently unstoppable, The results of modern health care is frequently sad and depressing, as people have to witness their loved slowly fading away inside a frail but still functioning body. I have heard all too frequently stories of elderly parents who no longer know their own homes, can’t recognise their loved ones, or remember their own offspring. Their brain dies faster than their bodies and confusion results.

So, if it exists, what is happening to the soul, as the diseases of the brain take hold? 

“She is just not there anymore” I have heard sons say of mothers, who fail to recognise the person they once knew in front of them, despite all the love they give them. It’s hard, but when the brain fails the person is damaged, their character diminished, memories lost.. If they ever did have a soul, it is also damaged and diminished. And so,  if the soul is diminished as more and more neurons die, the soul will also die when the person dies too.

If you believe the soul does exist, why can‘t a person with dementia still recognise their own spouse, son and daughter? If a soul does exist, will it be this unloving, confused soul that will continue to exist for eternity, or the one we remember of them in their prime, a soul from a previous time when they were at their most beautiful? And if this is true what or who decides when they were at their best? Or is the reality of  a modern disease just requiring us to use our imaginations a little harder to make the new facts fit an old idea that it's time to ditch? Perhaps their soul only exists in our living minds?

For this reason I reject the idea of a Soul, an afterlife, reincarnation or ghosts hanging about after death. Our brains and bodies are inseparably interlinked to make the person and both must function correctly for us to exist. If one develops faults, our living consciousness is affected and our lives and character changed. The stark reality is that when we die, we end. There is nothing of us that can continue.

You may find this hard, cold and desolate, but if you accept there is no afterlife, every minute of this life becomes precious, priceless and wondrous and not something to be squandered. Our time alive is truly the most amazing and valuable thing you can possibly own. And if you accept this then it is easy to realise that the life of others is also the most amazing and valuable thing they own and we all share this fantastic life with each other and the other forms of life around us, making it all even more valuable, wondrous and precious.

I see paradise not as a promise of something to come, but right here, now, all around us at this very moment. We don’t need to invent the idea of a soul to experience it. What ever your circumstances, however hard  or easy your life is, celebrate the miracle of your and everyone’s else’s lives, as our time is limited to only one short precious life.   Enjoy it and help others to enjoy theirs.

And If people accept there is no afterlife, perhaps they wouldn't waste their life fighting wars just because some else tells them to.

Atheist Faith, Hope and Prayers

 Many years ago, I took a long walk in the Pyrenees. Deep in a mountain forest, I came upon a small stone chapel that hadn’t seen a congregation or priest for a very long time. Hoping for rest, I pushed open the rusty metal doors. However, inside, I didn’t find anywhere to sit, what I  found was something stunningly  beautiful.  

Lacking any form of decoration, furniture or embellishment, the bare stone walls and plain wooden rafters made an ideal home for a roost of bats, who were clinging upside down over the earth floor of the dimly lit interior. At the far end, a solid rectangular stone alter sat below a single lancet window which was the only source of light. There was nothing of artistic note in this simple building, so, why am I bothering to tell you about it, you might well think.? Well, at precisely the moment I walked in, the sun shone a dazzling shaft of mote filled bright pure light onto a simple iron cross set centrally on the alter. It was as if my entry had switched a blinding laser beam directly onto the cross, at the precise moment I walked in.

It is my strongest memory from that 600 mile walk through the mountains.

I like English country churches, which may strike you as strange for an atheist. Many churches are locked up these days, especially urban ones, because bored or selfish people amuse themselves causing damage, but thankfully many village churches remain open and welcoming to all, even non believers like me. Most date back to medieval times and often there will be perpendicular windows, Norman doors ways and if you are lucky traces of Saxon walling in one unaltered corner.  Light floods in and the thick stone walls keep the noise of the daily grind outside, so a peacefully calm insulates you from the troubles of the world. The churches usually contain tombs to the rich and famous of the parish, such as crusader knights, past priests and local land owners. On the walls will be a Georgian heraldic board, telling everyone "Us Georgians are in charge now“, that no one has bothered to take down even after a couple of hundred years.. Frequently  stained glass will beautify the choir and the shimmering light shining through the coloured glass puts on an amazing technicolour light show.

They are timeless, unruffled, sentinels that have seen all the joys and troubles of parishioners over the centuries. Like sleeping old hounds, nothing can phase them.  You can sit in an old church and imagine generations of screaming babies baptised in the font, countless joyous weddings and too many sorrowful funerals. You can almost hear the priests thoughtful sermons to an enduring congregation, with fidgeting children, dozing old men and over dressed parents. Imagine a bit longer and you will also see the flirtive glances between a young man and woman that says in the universal language of love ’See you latter?’..

Today the trouble is that people aren’t coming any more. Congregations are small because, like me they don’t believe in a God or the afterlife or perhaps its just that modern life gives them the opportunity to do much more entertaining things on a Sunday. So now in this time of rapid change the English parish church is under threat. The roof starts leaking, but there's no one to make good the repair with local skills using local materials, and over zealous Health and Safety rules wouldn't allow them on the roof anyway.

Why should an old atheist cynic like me really  like English parish churches? Well I think it is their ageless simple honesty. Because, if you forget about the God bit, accept there is no afterlife, and ignore church politics, you are left with the constancy of humanity down through the ages getting on with life as best it can, coming together in one place and endeavouring to base their existence on a love of others, selflessness and compassion. It’s just a pity human nature usually gets in the way of such noble aims and makes life such hardwork.

There are a lot of people at the moment trying to work out what Putin is thinking. Well I don’t know what he is thinking, but what he is definitely not thinking about is Love, selflessness and compassion. I get the impression he is only thinking about himself and how he will be remembered in history. I wonder if he really wants to be remembered alongside Hitler, Stalin and Mao?  I would recommend that he goes and sits in a church on his own for a few hours and thinks about others, rather than himself.

                   
Recently, I concluded that because we have a brain, we can learn of different options and can chose how to act. The point of life, other than the biological need to survive and reproduce, is to make the world better not only for yourself but for all others, which includes future others and the other life forms with which we share this planet. So I started letter writing and emailing any one who I thought might have the power to make the world a better place. I’ve no idea what happens to my correspondence, I expect that most of it gets deleted unread, but the few responses to my atheists prayers, give me hope that the butterfly effect might kick in and my ideas might alter the chaotic system that is the world for the better. It is my act of faith that any good idea will be pinched by someone else and claimed for their own selfish benefit, so if I have a good idea and sent it to enough people, someone out there with more readers, skill, resources or power than I will promote or implement it.

I’ve frequently written to the Russian Ambassador asking for Russia to drop it’s 20th century militaristic mode of thinking.  In a BBC interview 18th May 2021, Sergi Naryshkin the head of Russian Foreign Intelligence service referred to certain respectful correspondence and spoke of his desire for future meetings with MI6. Coincidence? Did the Russian Secret service, in their mindset of espionage, think I was working for British intelligence probing for better relations? There is also a group of Norwegians spammers that, similar to an idea in one of my essays, are currently randomly bombarding Russian email addresses with the truth of the Ukrainian war and advising how Russians can verify it. Did they read my essay? It’s unlikely, they most probably thought up the idea themselves, but it could be possible they read my blog and they used their computer skills in order to help Ukraine and Russia.

So, are my atheist prayers changing the world? I correspond with love of humanity, hope and brutal honesty, so I have faith that they will do no harm and may even change the world for the better.  I will continue to write and hit the send button and encourage you to do the same.

The more I learn and see of the world, the more I realise how much I don’t know and that it’s all a deep, deep mystery. Why did that beam of light shine on that rustic iron cross at the precise moment  I walked into a forgotten chapel, when I was in the middle of a remote forest, a long way away from home? The boring atheist says it was just coincidence, but others might ham it up into a really entertaining essay.

Well, that’s my delusion. But is it closer or further from reality than yours?

Civilization Collapse - Is Humanity Committing Suicide?

 I've avoided writing about climate change, as far better writers than I have provided a glut of info on the subject. However, this is my (be warned gloomy) view of  reality. 

Back in Victorian times the river Thames was London’s waste disposal system. All of the cities rubbish, excrement, filth and muck was chucked in so that the river could flush it away. Even dead dogs where lobbed in for nature to dispose of. The problem was, that whilst the river carried the poo downstream, the tide brought it all back again six hours later. The stench was appalling, but nothing was done until the summer of 1858, when Parliament was suspended, because, such was the pong, that the retching MP’s could no longer debate the important issues of the day. Only after MP’s had been directly inconvenienced, was it finally decided to build a modern sewage system that piped the waste a long way down river, thus shifting the problem to some one else’s back yard. The whole affair came to be known as the “Great Stink“.

In our small attempt to make the world a better place, my partner and I often litter pick our local roads and paths. All too frequently we come back from a walk with a couple of bags of drinks cans, plastic bottles, sweet wrappers, surgical masks and crisp packets. On the quieter country lanes, fly tipping, cannabis farm debris and the contents of stolen cars are too common, but require clearance by the  Council. If our experiences are anything to go by, most people in the neighbourhood don’t give two hoots about their environment and are quite happy to live in a place that looks like a rubbish tip, or assume the people at the Council have nothing better to do, and plenty of money, to clear up after them.

Our friends, who have a wood burning stove, have just had a few hundred weight of coal delivered. They have decided that wood, even though it is a carbon neutral fuel, doesn’t give as warm and cosy a fire as burning coal, so have stocked up for the winter. They are both animal lovers, intelligent middle class folk, and one of them volunteers for the local Wildlife Trust, so outwardly have good environmental credentials. However, when it comes to their own personal luxury and comfort, choose to ignore the CO2 emissions.

Whilst being driven about in a large 4X4 SUV, a retired science Professor I have known for years said “When I watch David Attenborough, and he is talking about Climate Change and damage to the environment, I feel so helpless”. I was truly shocked that such a clever and intelligent person could say such a thing. “Well we all have to start making small changes, as that’s what’s got us into this mess” was my lame reply. Politeness stopped me staying “well you could start by getting rid of this F******* big gas guzzler”
 
Even though in a previous essay,  I’ve come to the conclusion that because it harms future generations, it is morally wrong to use fossil fuels, I have to own up to still driving a diesel car. So I am a hypocrite of the highest order. When I bought the car 8 years ago, it was the most fuel efficient car for my driving profile and whilst my next car is going to be electric, I’m not going to change until the diesel packs up. With a 600+ mile range, low road tax and enough room to sleep in the back, an electric car will not be as good for my holidays to Scotland or the West Coast. Giving up my personal conveniences for the environment is proving too hard, even though I know it is morally wrong not to change.

The UK Government has set targets and says it is tackling the Climate emergency, but the first thing they did, was to propose a law that restricts people like Extinction Rebellion  protesting about it. People on the streets causing disruption is just too inconvenient. As for their other policies, I get the impression they will do as little as they can get away with, as they know that the vast majority of voters, when it comes to the crunch, want cheap fossil fuels to maintain their life styles of luxury, parties and selfish enjoyment. The future can’t vote, so its business as usual please.

It’s the same the world over. As counties wake up to what reducing carbon emissions will entail, resistance is becoming more visible and vocal. India, whose population size will soon over take that of China, says it wants to build coal fired power stations to develop its economy as it is the cheapest way to do it. China continues to increase the number of coal power stations even though it professes to be on a path to net Zero. Australia and Poland keep on digging the stuff, Saudi Arabia pumps the oil as its is its only source of wealth. Germany keep buying Russia gas even though it knows it is funding the war in Ukraine and heating the planet.The UK sets targets and talks the talk about building wind farms and nuclear power plants but that is a knee jerk reaction to our national security rather than because of the climate emergency. What do you think will happen when the war is over and we can resume buying Russian gas and oil without feeling guilty, have got a handle on how much green energy will cost, and the next election is won by the party that promises the voters they will cut your fuel bill and taxes?

And that's the problem with the Climate Change Emergency. Everyone, every Country, and even myself all act in our own self interest rather than for the good of the whole. We do the easiest thing and not the correct thing. It’s human nature, to primarily look after ourselves or our social group, but it can’t go on or we will wreck our ecosystems, collapse our civilization and kill millions.

When the meteorite hit 66 million years ago the planet changed radically. The world dominated by the dinosaurs ended and the mammals  evolved to take their place.  The world has never been the same since. The Permian Triassic extinction had an even bigger impact. What isn't generally know is that both of these and all the other mass extinctions, were caused by wild changes in CO2 levels. Life couldn't cope with the rapid environmental change. Meteorites impacts make for a better movie but is was the Deccan traps pumping out C02 that saw off the dinosaurs after the deep winter of the impact. Currently we humans, by burning fossil fuels, are doing what  volcanoes did millions of years ago but at a far faster rate. Our man made Climate Change will have a similar effect. Mass extinction. (see Scotese, Mills & van der Meer (2020) for the global temperature curve over a geologic time scale.)

The problem is that unlike a meteor strike that would obviously require action, carbon dioxide is invisible, likewise sea level change and ocean acidification. You can only see them in scientists statistics which are not very interesting to people concentrating on their daily lives. Even though it is not a climate change problem, plastic in the ocean is visible and so action is easier to promote, . Flooding or large storms may be increasing in frequency, but they come and go locally, so have no permanence in the wider public's imagination. Exotic species, always the first to go extinct, don’t affect anyone and soon get forgotten. Fishermen have already forgotten about North Sea herring  and are currently working their way down the food chain, catching not fish but crustaceans. I expect they will soon be harvesting the plankton. . 

Compare the climate change problem with the recent covid saga for instance. Almost overnight,  a great many people on this planet suddenly woke up to the fact that if they caught the virus, they could die tomorrow. Having to face up to their own mortality, what happened? From the fear, panic and hysteria that followed there was instant action. People immediately surrendered their freedom, locked themselves away, stopped seeing their friends and family, refused to go to work and hid away like frightened rabbits. And as the majority is always right, the Governments of the world went along with it even though historically covid is a mild disease that only picks off the old, unhealthy or genetically unlucky. In the UK £400Billion was spent and what have we got to show for it now? Older people are still dying of covid.  In China they are still trying to defeat nature - good luck to them.  But climate change is not like Covid, its hard to get worked up about a concept that will affect future generations, not ourselves. There is no immediate threat, so why take immediate action?. When will the changing climate become a crisis - only when it is too late to do anything about it. As demonstrated by the Great Sink, those in power will only take action when it affects them directly and stops them dealing with their important short term issues - like raising and spending money.

 
So I think that we will be very lucky indeed if the world solves the climate change problem and scientists warnings don’t materialise. Hopefully fusion reactors will be economic. If not, I doubt Governments will show the leadership required and will continue to pander to greedy voters who can never be criticised. Also the challenge of  changing human nature through education in so short a space of time will never be possible. Unless there is something equivalent to a “ Global Great Stink” or Covid Crisis or dramatic meteor strike, the required drastic action will not be implemented.  Because of human's selfish genes, preprogrammed tendency to look after your own social group and lack of real intelligence, we aren't geared up to deal with an invisible and indirect problem of such planet changing magnitude as global warming. Evolution doesn't work at the level of an entire species. We will just keep fighting over a decreasingly smaller portion of an ever more poisoned pie. Future generations will have to adapt to the mess and destruction we are making. 

There simply aren't enough people who want to make the world a better place and are willing to make the sacrifices to their lives to make a difference.

If there is anyone in the future to read this, I apologise for our carbon crimes. But if it is any consolation, we did have great time. Fly UK to Barcelona for £5 return - Eee, them were't days!

Update June 2025. Both I and the Professors have electric cars and they are far better than and cheaper to run than dirty polluting internal combustion. Someone is coming to look at fitting solar panels on our house. The cost of renewable electricity is lower than that produced by gas etc. China's emissions are said to have peaked, so our transition to a cleaner future is well under way but needs everyone to play their part.

World Leaders - do we really need them?

 

I had to smile at the lead article in the Economist this week, that was trying to advise its readers what China was going to do about the Ukrainian war. It clearly had no idea how China was going to react, but I suppose  they have to make up some sort of nonsense to fill their pages*. However,they shouldn't worry, as like most managers, leaders, and heads of state such as Mr Putin and Mr Xi Jinping, they haven’t got a clue what they are doing either, they are just better than the rest of us at pretending they do.

For example, the book "On time and water" contains an interview from the 14th Dalai Lama from 2010. In this, his Holiness predicts confidently in his happy laughing style that the 21st Century will be one of peace and that China will become progressively more liberal and tolerant to alternative thinking. Well the Dalai Lama is a wise man, and the 21st century isn't over yet, but when it comes to prediction I'm sure the people of Ukraine and Hong Kong would see him as just human like the rest of us.

Why do you think there have been so many old Etonions as British Prime ministers? Its not because they are taught the skills the job requires, but are taught how to project an image of competence by demonstrating their skills of debate, education and confidence which hide the fact that they are just as useless as the rest of us. It was scientists who got us through the pandemic, not Boris. Implications of Brexit - he had no idea, so he just made it up as he when along with a confident joke or two. Thanks Boris.

Actors and comedians also make great leaders. Ragan and Zelensky spring to mind. Play the part that is required and all will be well. I grew up in the cold war of the 1980's and used to love a show called "Not the Nine o'clock news". Ragan was portrayed as a mindless idiot (which wasn't really fair) and my favorite song written by Mel Smith went "if I had a bomb, and a place to drop it from, I'd drop it on you world leaders, drop it on you world leaders." It would probably be banned today. (I wonder if the internet security algorithms will pick this up).    

I’m becoming more anarchist in my thinking every day. Anarchists are no threat to anyone – they can never get organised to do any harm! Who needs leaders anyway, like the mafia, they all use force to control our resources - have you tried not paying your taxes recently? Ants have been doing just fine without leaders for millions of years by sharing and recognising what needs to be done and just getting on with it.  Read Ant Encounters by D M Gordon if you don't believe me.

Once again many thanks for reading my nonsense, it takes my mind off the unbearable  “misery and folly of the world” as Thomas Carlisle called it. I said in my last post that that would be my "last post" but when I see such rubbish being written as that in the Economist magazine, I can't help but think why shouldn't I chip in with my own. 

*(Incidentally, based on the fact that the Chinese do not worship a God but do worship money, and that the Chinese Communist Party stays in power only because it continues to raise the living standards of the Chinese people, I predict that China will react to the Russian Ukrainian war in order to boost its economy. It will not help Russia and stay neutral thus keeping access to western markets.) 

Update Oct 2022. Boris has been booted out for breaking his own covid containment laws only to be replaced by another useless leader, Liz Truss. Fortunately this economic illiterate could only fool the aged tory membership, but not the financial markets, who saw through the unrealistic policies and forced her to resign. It's amazing that the people who voted for her are such poor judges of character and this sorry saga only proves that democracy only works if the people voting have reasonable level of understanding of the world we live in and don't purely vote in their own self interest that is based on prejudice and delusion. 

Human Progress - Don't make me laugh!!!

 I read Herodotus’s Histories recently and  the events he describes from 2500 years ago have uncanny parallels with today’s news. As the summary on the back of my copy (Penguin Classic) says

“Herodotus’s Histories is the first great prose work of European literature. It’s main theme is the heroic and successful struggle of a small and divided Greece against the mighty empire of Persia - with the underlying conflict between the absolutism of the East and the free institutions of the West”

The book records the story of the massive slave army of the Persian King Xerxes heading for Small democratic free Greece (if you ignore the slaves and womens lack of rights) with the sole aim to conquer and bring the Greeks into his empire. Under the leadership of Leonidas, the Greek advance party of  a few Spartens heroically halt the Persian advance at Thermopylea, and fight to the death in order to give the Greeks time to prepare the defence of their country, The Greeks eventually win the war by abandoning Athens and fighting a sea battle at a location that gives them the advantage. Defeated Xerxes heads home, defeated but still King of Persia.

I’m sure you can see that if Greece is replaced by Europe, Persians by Russians, Spartans by Ukraine, Leonidas by Zelensky, Xerxes by Putin it’s all too familiar to watchers of today's news programmes.

It would appear that Putin has not read Herodotus, which is a pity. If he  had he would know that massive slave armies are not as mobile, skilled or motivated to fight as freemen, who with their voting rights and freedom have much more to lose. They fight to the death to protect their rights. You have to whip the masses to fight for something they don’t believe in and generously reward the elite warriors in order to get them to do the whipping. Free men fight for nothing but an idea. Herodotus learnt this 2500 years ago and recorded it as he thought it was important, Some called him the father of history, others the father of Lies, so you could pick and choose your delusion then, just as we choose between truth and fake news today.

What will happen in our current Greek Tragedy is still to be decided, but if you follow the plot, Ukraine is doomed, but they give Europe time to prepare and eventually push Putin back into Russia. If you continue a few hundred years later Alexander the Great revenges Xerxes and invades Persia, sacks the capital, Persepolis, and continues on the rampage as far as India, making the Greeks just as bad as the invading Persians. So who could the modern Alexander be? Trump with nuclear weapons? Lets hope not.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It seems we have learnt nothing since Herodotus‘s time, and whilst the technology has changed, human nature hasn’t and we may as well be living in the Bronze age. Human Progress is a sham, and we will only start to progress when human nature changes and we all start to use our Brains rather than be ruled by our hormones and selfish genes.

When we start thinking about what we do, how it effects others and the future, and choose to only do things that benefit every one, not just ourselves, when we choose to only do things that make the world a better place, then will we start to make progress.

______________________________

I started .this blog a year ago with a “History of the World in a Single object” (please read it) and it now seems I have come full circle. I don‘t think I will write any more, as what else is their to say?
I’ve written to Ambassadors, I’ve had  a letter published in the Economist magazine but so far only 53 people have looked at my blog and I bet only a handful have actually read any of the essays. We seem to be fixated on our tiny screens, too busy destroying the planet and ourselves to  take time to  stop, learn and think, too busy  to look and listen to the whole wide world in all its majesty, grandeur and beauty, that is right there before us.  We don't deserve it.
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I Thank YOU for reading my thoughts, I have no idea if they are right or wrong, wise or foolish, but I know one thing for certain, they are 100% me, expressed freely and without fear from anyone or anything, for which I’m truly grateful. .

Its up to you and others now. Doing nothing is not an option. For me, the cats need feeding and the toilet is blocked!!! 

Make the World a better Place. 

My Love to Every one 

Trevor Prew.
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Mr Putin - it's ok to be Gay

 Dear Mr Putin

I know you read my blog, so as a friend, I would like to give some advice - it’s the 21st Century, it's ok to be Gay.

I know you live in a hyper Macho society, where the Alpha Male rules and the effeminate man is deemed mentally ill, but judging by your recent actions, I can see that it is not making you happy. You say that you feel threatened by Nato, Ukraine, the west, democracy, the internet and people protesting on the streets, but I’m not buying it. How can a man in control of over 1000 nuclear warheads feel threatened?

Have you heard of Toxic Masculinity?  It refers to the imagined “rules” that men need to act tough and avoid showing all emotions. It leads to damage of their mental health and to suffering both  physically and emotionally. Well I‘ve seen you playing ice hockey, strutting bare chested, etc and don‘t you think this is over doing it a bit? Aren’t you displaying classic symptoms of Toxic Masculinity, over compensating for the real you?

So, If you need to come out, and declare the truth, be brave, have a word with Mr Macron, he‘s French, he will understand. If you do, I can guarantee that you will feel a whole lot better. It will be a release of the real you, a truthful and honest you that will no longer feel threatened by the world.  And the world will learn to love you as you really are, unconditionally.

Have you seen drag race? Did you enjoy it? How magnificent you would look in a big taffeta meringue dress and high heels.

Much Love


Trev   XXX

(if you are wondering why I wrote this,  I very much doubt if the Russian army would fight for a Gay leader, so spread the rumour - Putin is Gay! )

How do we break the cycle of endless wars?

 It is wishful thinking on the part of Mr Harare (author of Sapiens) to believe that there have been long periods of human history where peace predominated.     

As history is one unending tale of misery and woe, he refers to prehistory  (ie archaeological and palaeontological evidence) to assert this claim, but as knowledge of what our prehistoric ancestors got up in their day to day lives is extremely limited, I would say that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I would point out that primate behaviour does include troop warfare and killings, and, as  we evolved from the similar primates, I think it is highly unlikely that in the gap between the apes and our historic period, there is an idyllic “garden of eden” when humans didn’t fight each other. Such thinking comes from our mythology, not archaeological evidence

Humans need to face up to what they are - which isn’t very nice - and only then will be able to address the problem and change our nature.

We should start by asking  why do we fight wars? Taking the current war, the Ukrainians are fighting for their independance and Russia is fighting because it believes it can win. Russia would not have invaded if it was not sure it could not.                

The economic and technological advantage of one group over another means that the leaders of the more powerful country will profit from the war thus increasing power and status of that country. The temptation of easy pickings is too great if you have machine guns and your opponents have swords.
The leaders, elites and warriors want to increase their wealth status and power, and if poorly defended peoples of a different culture are nearby, the easy way to get it is to raid, war and kill, using your technological advantage, rather than trade, negotiate or co operate. Humans usually take the easiest path, not the right path.

So why do males, (rarely do females fight) want more wealth status and power? The answer comes from evolutionary biology. Powerful, wealthy, high status men get the best pick of the women and lets face up to it, women like powerful, wealthy high status men, who will provide excellent homes, protection and support to bring up their offspring. Aren’t 50% of people in Asia descended from Genghis khan? Didn’t Russian soldiers rape lots of German women at the end of the second world war? Do homeless men have wives or girlfriends?

So to stop wars we have to change human nature, or more bluntly female sexual selection. If women no longer see the profits of war as a peacocks tail, war would stop instantly. If women said, on mass “if you start a war - I don't think that's attractive, so no sex for you” peace would come swiftly. I’m not a misogynist, I love my partner and women, and I’m not blaming women for wars - men, not women start and fight wars, I’m just trying to highlight a way of breaking the cycle of humans fighting wars for ever more.

There are historic examples of women playing a big factor in stopping wars. The women's peace movement in Northern Ireland did put pressure on the men before the Good Friday agreement. And women complaining about the loss of their menfolk  led to the Russian's pulling out of Afghanistan in the 1980's.

But history can only teach us so much. Humans are animals with atomic weapons and need to evolve fast. Education should not specialise if humans are to become wise.

TV footage of the horrors of war should not be censored. Everyone should see what humans do to other humans and be revolted by it. The truth will bring about change.

The Direction of Human History

 

(An edited version of the essay below was published on 6th March 2022 as the lead letter in the Economist magazine. It deeply saddens me that I have had to write such words)

 

I find it reassuring that, from my experience, the vast majority of humanity has already chosen not to make war, but chosen  a peaceful co-existence with their fellow sapiens. The major problem, highlighted by tensions over Ukraine, is how those peaceful people get rid of the minority of people who choose to use force and violence to increase their  power and status. How do you control someone who points a gun in your face?.

 The direction of  humanity will be decided if it can stop such people. But how?

 If a tyrant  gets elected, by making popular  promises of short term gain for their electorate, you may think that  using the law to expose their corruption or illegal activity will bring them to heel. But the law  and constitutions are human constructs, which can be  changed to suit those in power, and judges can be manipulated with rewards and bribes.

You could try protests on the streets, but these  don’t seem to work. Leaders will just send in the police as in Hong Kong and Belarus or tanks as in Tiananmen Square.  

Will spreading the truth about those in power control their behaviour? No chance, as speaking out will get you branded as a terrorist trying to cause harm to society. Arrest and a long term in jail will follow, which silences you and deters others.

Perhaps people should vote for different people at the next election, but it will probably be too late by then, as the opposition has been locked up  and voting  rigged  so that real change is impossible.

Perhaps feminism can exert soft power over powerful men? Well this has never happened in the past and would need a massive show of girl power to work.

Don’t look to religion for help either, religious leaders have never done anything in the past, as they are too intermeshed with the elites, to want the status quo to change. They think some supernatural, made up force will sort it all out  anyway. After 2000 years where has religion got us?

Will the freedoms and anarchy  of the internet  promote free speech and  enable the people to co ordinate and rise up against the oppressors? Well not if it is constantly monitored and controlled by those in power. Once in power the elite who have no shame to use force are proving very hard if not impossible to shift by their own people.

So international help is needed from  other peaceful countries imposing sanctions, but this is a long game, and if you look at North Korea seems to have no end. Also Sanctions only have the effect of harming the peaceful majority of people rather than the uncaring leadership, who continue to live in isolation, luxury and delusion. I’m sure Mr Putin knows that Russia will be worst off economically if he invades Ukraine, but I doubt if he cares. He will still be in power, living in luxury and wealth, convinced that his world view is correct. As long as his army obeys him, nothing can stop him, and his army is currently busy a long way away from Moscow, dealing with other matters. No the uncomfortable and inconvenient truth is, that the only way to stop dictators is by an internal coup (which will probably just replace one dictator with another) or by meeting violence with violence ie threatening war.

 After all, wasn’t the modern version of democracy born from war during the French revolution, American war of independence and the English Civil war? And what happened to the first democracy in Greece when the Spartan's and Macedonian's turned up? Historians go quiet on that one. Democracy is not the default setting for human societies.

 If the free world wants to stop Putin and protect the fledgling democracy in Ukraine, it will have to threaten to meet force with force and treat Ukraine as if it is already a Full member of Nato with all it’s implications of possible imminent nuclear war. I’m sure that everyone reading this will find this statement shocking, but what other way is there? Many in the past have fought for freedom, is our time to stand up for what we value fast approaching?

 Hitler was elected by a free and fair election , and if Trump had had an organised paramilitary wing he could at this very moment be the first dictator of the USA. The destiny of humanity is most definitely in all of our hands. The Question is not what to choose but how to act.