Talk:Paper 70 - The Evolution of Human Government

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There is an inconsistent application of the text numbering scheme found in this paper. It appears in the numbered points within a paragraph where sometimes it is:

1.1.1.5 dkdkdkddkdkddkd and at other times it is

simply dkddkdkdkdkddkdkd


example:

70:1.7 Warfare persists because man is human, evolved from an animal, and all animals are bellicose. Among the early causes of war were:

  • 1. 70:1.8 Hunger, which led to food raids. Scarcity of land has always brought on war, and during these struggles the early peace tribes were practically exterminated.
  • 2. 70:1.9 Woman scarcity —an attempt to relieve a shortage of domestic help. Woman stealing has always caused war.
  • 3. 70:1.10 Vanity —the desire to exhibit tribal prowess. Superior groups would fight to impose their mode of life upon inferior peoples.
  • 4. 70:1.11 Slaves —need of recruits for the labor ranks.
  • 5. 70:1.12 Revenge was the motive for war when one tribe believed that a neighboring tribe had caused the death of a fellow tribesman. Mourning was continued until a head was brought home. The war for vengeance was in good standing right on down to comparatively modern times.
  • 6. 70:1.13 Recreation —war was looked upon as recreation by the young men of these early times. If no good and sufficient pretext for war arose, when peace became oppressive, neighboring tribes were accustomed to go out in semifriendly combat to engage in a foray as a holiday, to enjoy a sham battle.
  • 7. 70:1.14 Religion —the desire to make converts to the cult. The primitive religions all sanctioned war. Only in recent times has religion begun to frown upon war. The early priesthoods were, unfortunately, usually allied with the military power. One of the great peace moves of the ages has been the attempt to separate church and state.

70:1.15 Always these olden tribes made war at the bidding of their gods, at the behest of their chiefs or medicine men. The Hebrews believed in such a " God of battles "; and the narrative of their raid on the Midianites is a typical recital of the atrocious cruelty of the ancient tribal wars; this assault, with its slaughter of all the males and the later killing of all male children and all women who were not virgins, would have done honor to the mores of a tribal chieftain of two hundred thousand years ago. And all this was executed in the " name of the Lord God of Israel. "


70:2.2 The constant necessity for national defense creates many new and advanced social adjustments. Society, today, enjoys the benefit of a long list of useful innovations which were at first wholly military and is even indebted to war for the dance, one of the early forms of which was a military drill.

70:2.3 War has had a social value to past civilizations because it:

  • 1. Imposed discipline, enforced co-operation.
  • 2. Put a premium on fortitude and courage.
  • 3. Fostered and solidified nationalism.
  • 4. Destroyed weak and unfit peoples.
  • 5. Dissolved the illusion of primitive equality and selectively stratified society.

70:2.4 War has had a certain evolutionary and selective value, but like slavery, it must sometime be abandoned as civilization slowly advances. Olden wars promoted travel and cultural intercourse; these ends are now better served by modern methods of transport and communication. Olden wars strengthened nations, but modern struggles disrupt civilized culture. Ancient warfare resulted in the decimation of inferior peoples; the net result of modern conflict is the selective destruction of the best human stocks. Early wars promoted organization and efficiency, but these have now become the aims of modern industry. During past ages war was a social ferment which pushed civilization forward; this result is now better attained by ambition and invention. Ancient warfare supported the concept of a God of battles, but modern man has been told that God is love. War has served many valuable purposes in the past, it has been an indispensable scaffolding in the building of civilization, but it is rapidly becoming culturally bankrupt—incapable of producing dividends of social gain in any way commensurate with the terrible losses attendant upon its invocation.

inconsistent numbering scheme

this may require reassigning all numbers below sections altered.--rdavis 21:44, 20 August 2007 (PDT)

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