Herb Coleman wrote: > It seems to me that all of the examples below can also be interpreted as > examples of peoples quest for power. > > > Let's see: > > [��.] > > >Many tribal wars in Africa (based on differing religions). > > > Wrong again. Many of these battles have colonial roots. The Hutus and > the Tutsis weren't violent enemies before colonialism . However, as > with the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq when a regime gives power of a > minority over a large majority and that power is abused seeds of > resentment are sown. Once again we are seeing struggles for power and > anger over past wrongs that have very little if anything to do with how > the other prays or doesn't pray.
John Kulig wrote: > Yes. Repeating myself from a previous post, is it not obvious from a > study of history, social and evolutionary psychology that we are a > war-making species; that we fight over power, prestige, status and > dominance, and that the flags we fly and ideology we adopt merely help > us to identify friend vs. foe? Religious affiliations associated with > warfare are confounded with other factors (such as territorial disputes) > than are known factors in warfare. >�.. I agree with Herb that it is absurd to put so many between-group conflicts down to religious differences, but the notion that tribes in Africa tended to live peacefully together until the advent of colonialism is no more the case than that native North American tribes peacefully co-existed until the �white man� arrived. (Just as organised slavery was widely practised in Africa before the European colonisers arrived and vastly extended its scope.) Nor were the Aztecs in Central America living in peace and harmony with their neighbours prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.human-nature.com/esterson/index.html http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/articleprint.php?num=10 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
