[ExI] Ultimate cause of fighting and solution

[Keith Henson]

The ultimate cause of wars and related civil disturbances is falling
income per capita or the anticipation of same.

Usually this is the result of population increasing faster then the
economy, but sometimes it's just the economy failing from, for
example, bad weather for crops.  As oil runs out we will see more and
more war or situations such as that in Syria and Iraq.

I have posted about this a bunch of times since 2005.

http://www.mankindquarterly.org/summer2006_henson.html

Besides trying to understand wars, I have also worked on alleviating
the root cause. Most of the problems in the world would dwindle to non
problems if the population shrank or at least stopped growing.  Where
that's happened there is little pressure to go to war.

Rich populations generally have low birth rates.  Raising the effect
wealth per capita by lowering the cost of energy seems to me to be a
step in the right direction.

So I work on power satellites.  I now have a relatively low tech
microwave propulsion from LEO to GEO to compliment Skylon and a
relatively high tech laser scheme.  Those who have been watching have
seen the laser propulsion scheme develop over the years.  The
microwave scheme is relatively new.  It's in a paper for a conference
that goes on this week.  Can't post, but in the event someone here
would like to see it, ask.

I never got involved with power satellite design before, figuring the
transport problem had to be solved first. But as an outgrowth of the
laser work decided to take a crack at it.  The current design looks
like it will come in well under 7 kg/kW, and is currently a bit under
5 kg/kW.  It's draft, but again if there is anyone who would like to
see it, ask.

Keith