I listen to the PRI podcast of The World daily. Best world-news show on the radio IMO. A few days ago, they had a segment on the goings on in the South China Sea vis-a-vis China and Japan and others sniping at each other over the ownership of various islands.
A US General, who had been sent over to reassure Japan over our treaty obligations, said that if China were to invade any of these islands, we could rather easily boot them off. We wouldn't even have to use troops, no doubt... Air power alone would suffice.
(Guy sounded just like the line from Strangelove where they are planning to take over the Air Force base.... "My guys can rather easily sweep them aside..."
In response, a member of the Chinese ambassadorial staff said..."The US Marines are no longer a fighting force. They are no more effective than the Marine Band, charging forward with their band instruments...." (paraphrased...)
So...Here we have two highly-placed officials from the concerned countries, sounding for all the world like 8-year old schoolboys yelling "Well, my old man can beat your old man!"
Which brings up.... Years ago I read a book called the Evolution of Consciousness by Robert Ornstein. I recalled that I liked the book, but hadn't read it in many years. I found a copy online for only a few bucks and started reading it yesterday.
Right off the bat, Ornstein says something I've been mulling over and promoting for some time, (maybe I got it from this book and just didn't remember....) that we humans are trying to cope with modern society and modern problems with a brain in no wise different than that of our primitive, hunter-gatherer ancestors.
That strategies and responses and reactions that served our ancestors well tend to be very problematic for us now.
We do have our saints and savants who work tirelessly and intelligently for peace and decency, but alas they get overwhelmed by the guys jumping up and down and screaming and whacking each other with old chunks of bone.
A US General, who had been sent over to reassure Japan over our treaty obligations, said that if China were to invade any of these islands, we could rather easily boot them off. We wouldn't even have to use troops, no doubt... Air power alone would suffice.
(Guy sounded just like the line from Strangelove where they are planning to take over the Air Force base.... "My guys can rather easily sweep them aside..."
In response, a member of the Chinese ambassadorial staff said..."The US Marines are no longer a fighting force. They are no more effective than the Marine Band, charging forward with their band instruments...." (paraphrased...)
So...Here we have two highly-placed officials from the concerned countries, sounding for all the world like 8-year old schoolboys yelling "Well, my old man can beat your old man!"
Which brings up.... Years ago I read a book called the Evolution of Consciousness by Robert Ornstein. I recalled that I liked the book, but hadn't read it in many years. I found a copy online for only a few bucks and started reading it yesterday.
Right off the bat, Ornstein says something I've been mulling over and promoting for some time, (maybe I got it from this book and just didn't remember....) that we humans are trying to cope with modern society and modern problems with a brain in no wise different than that of our primitive, hunter-gatherer ancestors.
That strategies and responses and reactions that served our ancestors well tend to be very problematic for us now.
We do have our saints and savants who work tirelessly and intelligently for peace and decency, but alas they get overwhelmed by the guys jumping up and down and screaming and whacking each other with old chunks of bone.
via JREF Forum http://ift.tt/1ixHZ1n
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