[ExI] Old still true (BillK)

[Stefano Vaj]

On 15 August 2011 21:38, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:
> Some of them, such as capture-bonding (which happened
> to Elizabeth Smart and Patty Hearst) are rarely turned on today.

That is, unless international relationships are concerned. :-)

> What drove the selection was human population growth till the
> ecosystem could no longer feed them.  Then it was time for to fight
> neighbors.  Win or lose this reduced the population.

What else is new? :-)

> One of the theories for war is that they result from an excess of
> males in the population.  According to that theory, China should be
> the most warlike country in the world.  They are not, and my
> prediction is that China will not get in a war unless they are
> attacked because the economic outlook for the Chinese is positive.

"War", OTOH, is just one of many, many possible facets of competition.

Let alone the kind of ritualised fights of modern Europe between the
armed forces of governments recognising one another's legitimacy (and
ultimate immunity), which has been out of fashion at least since the
end of WWII.

> The one calibration point I can think of is Saudi Arabia.  Between
> population growth and falling oil prices, the income per capita fell
> 75% there.  That seems to have been enough for OBL and company to
> recruit the 9/11 suicide hijackers.

Mmhhh, economic reductionism. Lord Byron went to fight the Greek war
of independence, and yet he was not especially destitute. OBL himself
was doing quite well out of Saudi feodalism (and perhaps CIA's salary
during the first Afghan insurgence) when he engaged in his crusade
(sorry, Jihad).

But sure, the frustration of seeing your personal income dropping mayu
encourage you to consider what dominant rebellious memes might
suggest.

-- 
Stefano Vaj