[extropy-chat] War Is Easy To Explain - Peace is Not

Lee Corbin lcorbin at rawbw.com
Wed Mar 14 05:26:42 UTC 2007


Thomas writes

> So, are you implying that peace and population are positive correlates?  

Yes, and the correlation depends causally on wealth production
(I submit) which gives rise simultaneously to larger populations and
peace.

I also agreed with the only other analysis I've read so far in the replies,
namely gts's.

> Can you tell me about the simply most peaceful 50 years span in
> recorded history (*not* related to population) and perhaps speculate
> on the reasons?

Human population growth has been pretty much monotonic, so
this is difficult to say.  I do believe that large empires maintained
peaceful interiors (for the most part), and so I would look to
empires such as the Russian, the Chinese, the Mongol, the Roman,
and the British.  Of course, empires always have a very nasty 
transition cost whereby they have to kill large numbers of people
on their way up.  Julius Caesar is estimated to have been responsible
for the deaths of two million Gauls.

Maybe the first two centuries A.D. when the Chinese Han and
Roman Empires were relatively stable?

Lee




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