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World Becoming Less Violent: Despite Global Conflict, Statistics Show Violence In Steady Decline.

DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
edited October 2011 in Buddhism Today
WASHINGTON -- It seems as if violence is everywhere, but it's really on the run.

Yes, thousands of people have died in bloody unrest from Africa to Pakistan, while terrorists plot bombings and kidnappings. Wars drag on in Iraq and Afghanistan. In peaceful Norway, a man massacred 69 youths in July. In Mexico, headless bodies turn up, victims of drug cartels. This month eight people died in a shooting in a California hair salon.

Yet, historically, we've never had it this peaceful.

That's the thesis of three new books, including one by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. Statistics reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, murder and all sorts of mayhem.

In his book, Pinker writes: "The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species."

And it runs counter to what the mass media is reporting and essentially what we feel in our guts.

Pinker and other experts say the reality is not painted in bloody anecdotes, but demonstrated in the black and white of spreadsheets and historical documents. They tell a story of a world moving away from violence.

In his new book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined," Pinker makes the case that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics using examinations of graveyards, surveys and historical records:

_ The number of people killed in battle – calculated per 100,000 population – has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/world-less-violent-stats_n_1026723.html

Comments

  • Well, that is because we do not count nature as victim from the "medicine" of stilling greed as victim. I guess the diagram of destruction would be similar. *smile*
  • Violence may have declined - suffering has not - spreadsheets are useless in measuring suffering. This is typical of mainstream journalism overlooking the obvious. This is a dog and pony show - for entertainments sake only. Notably, no mention was made of the fact that more people are in prison globally (9 million estimated - but could be more due to under reporting) than at any other time in history. Also, suicide rates have increased worldwide by 60% in the last 45 years. Further, the number of malnourished or hungry people across the planet in 2010 was estimated at 925 million. So, if we are less violent - is it because we are imprisoned - hungry - or simply not around? It is disingenuous to imply that we as a species are trending towards a more peaceful - less violent existence. Sorry.

    p.s.: Hanzze@ - once again your statements defy logic and comprehension.
  • Violence may have declined - suffering has not - spreadsheets are useless in measuring suffering. This is typical of mainstream journalism overlooking the obvious. This is a dog and pony show - for entertainments sake only. Notably, no mention was made of the fact that more people are in prison globally (9 million estimated - but could be more due to under reporting) than at any other time in history. Also, suicide rates have increased worldwide by 60% in the last 45 years. Further, the number of malnourished or hungry people across the planet in 2010 was estimated at 925 million. So, if we are less violent - is it because we are imprisoned - hungry - or simply not around? It is disingenuous to imply that we as a species are trending towards a more peaceful - less violent existence. Sorry.

    p.s.: Hanzze@ - once again your statements defy logic and comprehension.
    Suffering cannot be quantified but , to some degree, violence can be. Its reduction is good news.
    Many people in prison, dare I say most, belong there.
    Suicide rates are troubling.
    Malnourished and hungry, though unacceptable, is better than starving. (They are too weak to be violent? That is a stretch).
    Signed,
    Mr. Bright Side
  • IronRabbit,

    The modern world walks on the lane of love (greed) and does not see the victims of this latent war yet. *smile*.
    The only reason why (thinking) we have more peace is because we are in the global delusion that we can reduce suffering by stilling desire. Current peace is just a bought illusion on the back of our earth (nonhuman beings) which we will have to pay pack.
    This modern illusion that the opposite of hatred is love (attachment of greed) will have its sad end. The sooner we finish the pity line and start to be more moderate and frugal by our self, the less it will hurt.
    *smile*
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    I heard a public radio program the other week about this. One example that was brought up was the example of the book 'The Decameron' written about the time of the plague, the group in the story had to travel in a large pack because of fear of being attacked in the countryside. Or in the US take the example of the frontier west. The world is far from perfect but its nice that, despite what the news protrays, its at least less violent.
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