Ostracism was not as much of a threat when wealth, especially in terms of food, could be accumulated. Instead of depending upon group hunting skills in times of scarcity, an individual or small group could depend upon their foodstuffs in storage. In summary, many of the costs that made aggression obviously unproductive in the hunter-gatherer society were substantially decreased in an agricultural civilization. Aggression appears to be a viable option only when wealth extends beyond immediate needs and can be accumulated. The Industrial Age created further temptation for would-be aggressors as wealth increased geometrically.
Lies are more difficult to maintain when people have universal access to a variety of viewpoints.
Radio, television, telephone, and fax machines were instrumental in making the Soviet Union obsolete. Let s hope that government aggression, of all kinds, fares similarly. The Other Piece of the Puzzle . She holds a Ph.D. in biophysics.