gilly54

AtlanticCitySlave beat me to it by saying that the Gulf War was over oil.

What about the genocidal war between the Hutus and the Tutsis? That was caused by racial hatred and revenge, I think.

Gilly

echidna

[QUOTE]Originally posted by David Payne:
<strong>Yes, economic, political, cultural, ethnic and social reasons among other factors, are amongst the actual reasons that most wars are fought, but they are usually not the reason given for the wars. The reasons used to justify this activity are usually good (us) vs. bad (them) and God/religion is used to say that our side (pick a side here) is the side of good. If we can eliminate the smoke screen of God/religion in warfare, we can at least have honest wars, and perhaps even no wars at all in the end.</strong>[/QUOTE

Really as you say religion is only one of many many ways which people can be motivated to warfare.

Ultimately the basis for most conflict is our innate attraction to tribalism and the frequent submission to authority which this brings. We seek safety, security and strength in numbers. So how do we form our tribes ? Simply on the basis of whatever similarity is handiest, religion is only one of many.

I’d just about say it’s an innate part of human nature, and those who fall into the mindset of tribal authoritarianism, are just as likely to be motivated to killing by culture, race / ethnicity, economic status or nationality, as they are religion. The last century provides an excellent archive on this macabre side of human nature.

You’ll be just as hard-pressed to find wars which don’t involve the issues of culture, ethnicity, economic status & nationality as well.

So are culture, ethnicity, economic status & nationality also automatically bad things ? Nuh AFAIC.

David M. Payne

Hi RD, haven't heard much from you since our days over on the Clemson skeptics web site. Well, lets look at your post:


(1) As I have said, there are a lot of reasons for war, but I find it interesting that religion is always one of them, as the main cause see (9/11) or one of the main reasons given for the conflict. Otherwise, I agree with your observations, though I would add economic and ethnic factors, as well as other factors that may be related to geographic and ethnic tensions.
(2) I think a lot of things RD, as someone who saw war up close and personal in Vietnam, I have had a strong desire to do what I could to seek an end to it. That is, in a nut shell, my motivation for what I write, so that is what I think. So what is your motivation for what you write?

David