Taxes are just a part of our modern society’s maintenance infrastructure.
Before European incursion into North America there were other cultures with different infrastructures. And their equivalent of taxes, would have been in bringing home food and supplies for the benefit of the entire tribe, and perhaps building palisades and defenses for their settlements.
In a way . . . I suppose . . . One could say this enabled future generations to go to war. If one really wanted to!
Because dead civilizations do not go to Future Wars!!
@Gina I see war like a machine, like a function of humanity. Not suggesting its a good thing at all and I would like to see it banned, but it’s almost a thing humans can’t live without. can you remember a time when there was no war…
Profit can be money, or the acquisition of a benefit that exceeds the perceived value of human life. The main problem is that the perceived value of a human life varies so greatly.
Its easy to do the math. Pick a war and divide the losers killed by those on the winning team killed, but be warned. It ain’t gonna be pretty.
The American Revolution is a classic example of war for the right reasons. It was a war for freedom and the right to dictate the terms associated with the pursuit of happiness.
Its just too bad that the pursuit of happiness got mixed up to be represented by material wealth, instead of the purity of contentment. It is very hard to stop momentum and the pendulum has swung to its extreme end with a leader that represents the priority of materiality and self aggrandizement, over the synergies that could be created…and were created…when America truly was the greatest civilization to exist. America was a team. It isn’t any more. Its two teams fighting each other to win and in the end; no one will actually win.
@Scarlett
I think it’s more like business takes advantage of War.
War may even be in the category of evolutionary necessity for humans. We most certainly are where we are today because of it (including beneficial advancements we profit from daily)
We are much more insulated than the rest of the animals from mass die-offs, and radical resetting of the game board.
But like it or not, these things serve a necessary evolutionary process of rebalancing an unbalanced system.
Despite the meanings of ego we might attach to war, it may just be the organism adapting to restore something that we have tried to balance out of the equation.
Our primitive organism deep within us, knows how to survive far better than our conscious being does. Perhaps even having a sense of it in relation to the survival of the entire species.
It may even be why toxic unbalanced families go to war within themselves, seeding all kinds of self destructive processes into their progeny (generational curses).
It’s almost like an evolutionary force, greater than them, is seeking to restore balance.
@spitfire3dc
There were probably as many wars over ideologies as there was over profit.
Let’s remember the natives went to war over territory, at a time when they thought the white man’s concept of owning land was absurd. Profit from the land would have been an abstract concept to them at best.
@griz The Indian Wars were most definitely driven by profit from one side. Land ownership might be one of the most fundamental greed targets. Just because you are involved in the same war, doesn’t mean everyone is fighting for the same thing.
The British Monarchy wanted to protect its tax revenue and the American Revolutionists wanted to be free of of that…and much more.
@spitfire3dc
I was thinking pre 1500’s, before they even knew white men existed.
I know it’s our perogative as the “winners” to rewrite history as just a function of us!
But there was a meaning there pre-existing the one we stamped upon it. They went to war to protect the territory that their survival depended upon.
The intellectual advancements we’ve made may allow us to parse this as a kind of profit. But that is likely far too great an abstraction to credit an older civilization with being conscious of. They just didn’t want their tribe to die of starvation.
(Which maybe too great an abstraction to expect us modernaires to realistically grasp!)
GREED, and the desire to control every aspect of human endeavor.
I would recommend you read the book, “War Is A Racket,” by Major General Smedley Butler retired USMC officer. He wrote the book shortly after WW1, but the principles behind the actions he describes in his book are just as true today as they were back then.
@immortal_pirate
Greed is most certainly a motivator of War. Particularly to us modernaires!
But you were likely around when even Europe was just primitive tribal communities. And at least some of the wars were fought over pure survival, as it related to available food resources.
It was less greed then they’re just wanting to not starve.
Try telling someone who hasn’t eaten for 20 days, that this is a greed or profit motive at work!
29 responses to “war”
…wanting
@luftballooneyegouge wanting-money? do you agree we pay taxes to help pay for future wars?
@Scarlett
Partially
Partially
@luftballooneyegouge
A wise answer imho.
Taxes are just a part of our modern society’s maintenance infrastructure.
Before European incursion into North America there were other cultures with different infrastructures. And their equivalent of taxes, would have been in bringing home food and supplies for the benefit of the entire tribe, and perhaps building palisades and defenses for their settlements.
In a way . . . I suppose . . . One could say this enabled future generations to go to war. If one really wanted to!
Because dead civilizations do not go to Future Wars!!
HuMANs wanting something as @luftballooneyegouge said.
Wanting someone’s Resources…
Ideological Change
Economic Gain
Territorial Gain
Religion
Nationalism
Revenge
Civil War
Revolutionary War
Defensive War
Because I love covers and remixes, I give you WAR (King Britt Remix)
@Gina
@luftballooneyegouge Groovy. Edwin like one name songs.
@Gina I see war like a machine, like a function of humanity. Not suggesting its a good thing at all and I would like to see it banned, but it’s almost a thing humans can’t live without. can you remember a time when there was no war…
@Scarlett Do you think things would be different if women ruled the world?
Joan Armatrading – If Women Ruled the World
Loving your sweet ways
Loving the funny things you say
Loving the silence
Wrapped in my man’s arms at the end of the day
Loving the way you
Make me feel
That women rule the world if women ruled the world
It would be a good thing
No more war
No more hate
Women can fight
But talking’s great
Behind your back
To your face
They’d rather talk
Than murder
Not all men kill babies
But a woman would rather
Kill herself
Than see a child suffer
Women are carers
They were born that way
Like mother nature feeds the world
A woman will think of her child first
No more sons dying young
Women bore sons for living
No more war
No more hate
Women can fight
But talking’s great
Behind your back
To your face
They’d rather talk
Than murder
I love how you love me
Make me feel that
Women rule the world
If women ruled the world
It would be a good thing
Like mother nature feeds the world
A woman will think of her child first
No more sons dying young
Women bore sons for living
No more war
No more hate
Women can fight
But talking’s great
Behind your back
To your face
They’d rather talk
Than murder
If women ruled the world
@Scarlett
Was stopping Nazism not a good thing?
Humans?
( do I win a prize!)
@griz ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-yes!
@Scarlett
But I probably lose that prize if I tried to suggest that just one of the sexes is responsible for it!
(Careful! There’s a can of worms there we might not want to open!)
@griz I just opened that can. :)
@Gina
Well, take a peek in and see what you find!
When an opportunity to profit exists.
Profit can be money, or the acquisition of a benefit that exceeds the perceived value of human life. The main problem is that the perceived value of a human life varies so greatly.
Its easy to do the math. Pick a war and divide the losers killed by those on the winning team killed, but be warned. It ain’t gonna be pretty.
@spitfire3dc do you agree that war is business? would the world’s major economies collapse without war?
@Scarlett War is mostly business. Not all.
The American Revolution is a classic example of war for the right reasons. It was a war for freedom and the right to dictate the terms associated with the pursuit of happiness.
Its just too bad that the pursuit of happiness got mixed up to be represented by material wealth, instead of the purity of contentment. It is very hard to stop momentum and the pendulum has swung to its extreme end with a leader that represents the priority of materiality and self aggrandizement, over the synergies that could be created…and were created…when America truly was the greatest civilization to exist. America was a team. It isn’t any more. Its two teams fighting each other to win and in the end; no one will actually win.
@Scarlett
I think it’s more like business takes advantage of War.
War may even be in the category of evolutionary necessity for humans. We most certainly are where we are today because of it (including beneficial advancements we profit from daily)
We are much more insulated than the rest of the animals from mass die-offs, and radical resetting of the game board.
But like it or not, these things serve a necessary evolutionary process of rebalancing an unbalanced system.
Despite the meanings of ego we might attach to war, it may just be the organism adapting to restore something that we have tried to balance out of the equation.
Our primitive organism deep within us, knows how to survive far better than our conscious being does. Perhaps even having a sense of it in relation to the survival of the entire species.
It may even be why toxic unbalanced families go to war within themselves, seeding all kinds of self destructive processes into their progeny (generational curses).
It’s almost like an evolutionary force, greater than them, is seeking to restore balance.
@spitfire3dc
There were probably as many wars over ideologies as there was over profit.
Let’s remember the natives went to war over territory, at a time when they thought the white man’s concept of owning land was absurd. Profit from the land would have been an abstract concept to them at best.
@griz The Indian Wars were most definitely driven by profit from one side. Land ownership might be one of the most fundamental greed targets. Just because you are involved in the same war, doesn’t mean everyone is fighting for the same thing.
The British Monarchy wanted to protect its tax revenue and the American Revolutionists wanted to be free of of that…and much more.
@spitfire3dc
I was thinking pre 1500’s, before they even knew white men existed.
I know it’s our perogative as the “winners” to rewrite history as just a function of us!
But there was a meaning there pre-existing the one we stamped upon it. They went to war to protect the territory that their survival depended upon.
The intellectual advancements we’ve made may allow us to parse this as a kind of profit. But that is likely far too great an abstraction to credit an older civilization with being conscious of. They just didn’t want their tribe to die of starvation.
(Which maybe too great an abstraction to expect us modernaires to realistically grasp!)
All wars are always caused by differing beliefs.
@Weenis
Except those that were over women!
Often perceived dangers. Humans are very vulnerable to fear.
@five2one true, but I believe love and fear are the same thing
@Scarlett
Ouch!
You may have to unpack that one before I can see it. It may be like trying to say a rhinovirus and a cough are the same thing.
There’s also the matter of a time-honored writing that says, “Perfect love cast out all fear”.
GREED, and the desire to control every aspect of human endeavor.
I would recommend you read the book, “War Is A Racket,” by Major General Smedley Butler retired USMC officer. He wrote the book shortly after WW1, but the principles behind the actions he describes in his book are just as true today as they were back then.
&t=25s
…and…
All wars are to profit bankers…
@immortal_pirate
Greed is most certainly a motivator of War. Particularly to us modernaires!
But you were likely around when even Europe was just primitive tribal communities. And at least some of the wars were fought over pure survival, as it related to available food resources.
It was less greed then they’re just wanting to not starve.
Try telling someone who hasn’t eaten for 20 days, that this is a greed or profit motive at work!