NationStates Jolt Archive

Humankind has long talked about a day in which we would live together in peace. Many cultures have in their myths and oral historys some indication of day when world peace will become a reality. So what do people think will be required by humanity to achieve peace? Do you think think that the European Union is an example for the rest of the world? As the following quote indicates I am convinced that world peace is possible. What do you think?

The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet -- in the words of one great thinker, "the planetization of mankind".

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Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity's stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth. At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible.

(The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace)

-snip-
As much as I hate war, I don't believe peace is possible, nor do I want humanity to outgrow war. Sadly, it is our nature.

I argue against outgrowing war with this logic: if we outgrow war, I worry that humanity will have also outgrown a desire to defend freedom. What if tyranny rears its ugly head in peacetime (it can happen w/o war)? Since by then we'd have outgrown war altogether I worry that people wouldn't want to fight for their freedom (through war).

you know the religion without a world peace? christianity, hell if everyoen comes together for peace its a sign of the apocalypse

you know the religion without a world peace? christianity, hell if everyoen comes together for peace its a sign of the apocalypse
Please, let's be civil and not attack Christians - perhaps you would like to respond to my above post?

To an extent, a high level of peace is possible. Acceptance and tolerance must rule the day. My history professor is a hardcore liberal and has his views that I really hate, and sometimes I want to throw my book at him. I know he feels the way about my views often. But, he is a really good guy, very educated. We come from two way different backgrounds but are tolerant of one another and respect each others opinions. Hell I know for a fact there has been times where I have read something on this board and totally went ballistic, its human nature, we all have to deal with that and better ourselves. Until we can do that, peace will be hard to come by.

Please, let's be civil and not attack Christians - perhaps you would like to respond to my above post?
well obviously its not, because the world will end when everyopne starts being nice to each other, or the world will end anyway, woo hoo!

Are we one people? Is peace possible?
Sure, as long as everyone agrees with me.

As much as I hate war, I don't believe peace is possible, nor do I want humanity to outgrow war. Sadly, it is our nature.

I argue against outgrowing war with this logic: if we outgrow war, I worry that humanity will have also outgrown a desire to defend freedom. What if tyranny rears its ugly head in peacetime (it can happen w/o war)? Since by then we'd have outgrown war altogether I worry that people wouldn't want to fight for their freedom (through war).

War is not always (never entirely) down to personal freedom. If wars stopped I would not worry for humanity. Aggressiveness is part of us and people are always willing to fight, so I would be more surprised than worried. What I see as the defining characteristic of humanity is a curiosity fueled by emotion.

Akso. More things should be bombed. I needed to do that. I kinda felt weird promoting humanity when I am most known for promoting mass genocide.

War is not always (never entirely) down to personal freedom
True - obviously there are lots of other reasons that war is fought, but I chose an issue (personal freedom being threatened) that impacts me IMO to the greatest extent.

True - obviously there are lots of other reasons that war is fought, but I chose an issue (personal freedom being threatened) that impacts me IMO to the greatest extent.

I wouldn't get into a war for personal freedom. I've never reguarded free will that highly. However. If someone were to take away my slippers. I would be shooting them before you could say "Take the bins out".

Peace should never be a possibility. Without that outlet for violence, who knows what kind of world we might create for ourselves?

Peace isn't possible unless everyone everywhere has the same mind.

Humankind has long talked about a day in which we would live together in peace. Many cultures have in their myths and oral historys some indication of day when world peace will become a reality. So what do people think will be required by humanity to achieve peace? Do you think think that the European Union is an example for the rest of the world? ... I am convinced that world peace is possible. What do you think?
I think it's possible, once people realize in their bones that we are all brothers and sisters of the same mother, an African "Eve" who lived about 75,000 years ago. One of the primary problems is the myths, folklore and legends most of us live by, including almost all religion.

NOTE: I will defend any human being's right to believe as he or she wishes to believe and to say what he or she wishes to say. This does not mean that I agree with what they believe or say, only that I believe in their right to their own bliefs and speech.

Peace isn't possible unless everyone everywhere has the same mind.

If the European Union is an example then we see that peace is possible. Europeans started more wars than probably any other group of people and today they are in Union. Don't you think?

peace is possible when we kick intolerant religion.more war, death, violence and suffering has been done in the name of god than anything else.god must cry everyday for what weve done.

Peace is possible when everyone's been killed through war. Other than that, doubtful.

Well my country Sweden and also Switcherland have had peace for two hundred year so peace can work. But if to archieve peace globaly you have do something about poverty and deprevation, especially with the growing CNN factorn. Because more and more people see that the west have and they don't and they can get pretty angry about it, and be open to leaders that help to something about it, and that help can be using violent means. Also the head of states of poor states see the luxuries way leaders in the west have it and try to have the same with legal, unlegal and viloent ways, opsetin the population. And also the way the westerns political and economical leaders try to help can lead to conflict like for example western leaders interstert to get controll of valuable resources in Kongo fuels the conflict.

There can only be peace once the capitalist oppressors who are trying to divide the human race are overthrown.

Peace is an illusion. It is only an ideal; one we deduce from the fact that there have been interludes between wars.

Peace is an illusion. It is only an ideal; one we deduce from the fact that there have been interludes between wars.

This sounds like what a lot of people used to say about race relations in this country (USA). I don't mean my comment as an insult to you, just that what we think can not happen often does happen. The social sciences are not different from the other science in that way. Good example is: Man can't fly. Man can't go to the moon. We did though, didn't we.

Are we one people?

That depends. what people are you?

There can only be peace once the capitalist oppressors who are trying to divide the human race are overthrown.
Oh, cute! :rolleyes: :headbang:

Actually, just in case you hadn't noticed, war and conflict in general are bad for most business, especially international business. Just thought a nice, cold dose of reality might help you, although I doubt it.

There can only be peace once the capitalist oppressors who are trying to divide the human race are overthrown.

People tried that. It resulted in the Russian Revolution and the Cold War (and all of the proxy conflicts: Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc).

Oh, cute! :rolleyes: :headbang:

Actually, just in case you hadn't noticed, war and conflict in general are bad for most business, especially international business. Just thought a nice, cold dose of reality might help you, although I doubt it.

Yep but war can also be good for business, like for example Hitler and his warmachine and the first wars was very good for the german corporations of course until the tide turned and Germany was bombed to peaces. But many of the german business people could carry on after the war. And of course the WW2 was a big disturbance for the american companies but with there factories not bombed they get a realy big boost during the war from warproductions and afterwars with a big headstart over the other european contries with bombed and destroyed factories. And also think of the american countries that profit from Iraq or from the coup in Chile that you can descrive as a short civilwar. So coperation can profit from war but preferly it should be "neat wars" that don't effect the home market and production to much or on longterm the international trade negative. And today we also got alot of "neat war" in that sent that the war is though on insignificant market but there the war can lead to profitable deals for naturalreurces and/or boost warproduction, even if the war means terror and deaths for a lot of people. But of course as always some companies profits while other don't. Just some obsevations

you know the religion without a world peace? christianity, hell if everyoen comes together for peace its a sign of the apocalypse

As a Christian, I have to agree with you. I believe near the end, or before the Revelations, they'll be a leader so charismatic bringing peace to all nations (Or asking for peace to all nations). Etc Etc. Thats why protestants are kinda worried who the next pope might be. :p

But because of knowing that, being a more sound-minded Christian (Than the rest compared to the crazy church), doesn't mean I'll go out and cause trouble.
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I don't think World peace is possible. I for one, believe humans hearts are deceitfully evil in nature.

It would help, if people told the truth:

"I want more money and more power."

instead of

"God told me this is the right way."

"God bless our country"

"We are chosen by god."

etc. etc.

As a Christian, I have to agree with you. I believe near the end, or before the Revelations, they'll be a leader so charismatic bringing peace to all nations (Or asking for peace to all nations). Etc Etc. Thats why protestants are kinda worried who the next pope might be. :p

What about the PRINCE OF PEACE?




But because of knowing that, being a more sound-minded Christian (Than the rest compared to the crazy church), doesn't mean I'll go out and cause trouble.
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I don't think World peace is possible. I for one, believe humans hearts are deceitfully evil in nature.

Every human heart? Aren't there any good people out there?

The day you have peace I'll shoot your family, steal your house and force everyone I can to work as slave labour for me at gunpoint. So screw you.

I believe anything is possible..but not likely.

And I'd throw your babies off my house.

peace is possible when we kick intolerant religion.more war, death, violence and suffering has been done in the name of god than anything else.god must cry everyday for what weve done.
I'll grant you that "religion" has been the excuse for many wars and much suffering, but the actual causes of war have almost always been desperation, greed, lust for power and just plain cussedness.

The day you have peace I'll shoot your family, steal your house and force everyone I can to work as slave labour for me at gunpoint. So screw you.
Peace doesn't mean lack of crime, or of police for that matter. It means that nations, and people, will have found better ways to solve their disputes than ramming their opinion down the others throats.

For that we need far more wisdom than we have shown so far. It can happen, I hope it does happen. Or it would require us meeting a challenge far greater than ourselves.

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I think it's interesting that everyone who has posted so far seems to have done so under the assumption that absolute peace is automatically a desirable thing.

Is it always? Consider:

An absolute military dictatorship, where civil rights are non existent and dissenters and their families are shot immediately on suspicion would be a peaceful regime. There would be no dissent to speak of, no demonstrations, just people going about their daily business - peacefully. They may be beaten down, oppressed and in fear for the lives of their families, but it is a peaceful society. Send them a-conquering and you have world peace. Do you want it?

Or:

An extraterrestrial invasion (far-fetched, true - but remotely possible) which ends in all humans being "modified" to dispose of "undesirable tendencies" like violence or dissent. Peaceful, but again not what I would like.

I am of the school of thought that believes that humans are too self-centred, greedy, hostile and straight out violent by nature for there to ever be a lasting "World Peace" but I also believe that our aggression and drive is where our most creative urges are inspired. Too many people are trying to get the animal out of us or pretend we are not animals rather than embracing and utilising the huge resource that aggression can be. Look at some of our magnificent artworks (the scream - Edvard Munch, The Black Paintings or The Disasters of War - Goya), listen to our most passionate music. I truly believe we need the violence within us to be the creative spur.

Too much peace and passivity would probably be damaging to the human psyche, anyway - and I'm only half-joking with that one. ;)


As the old saying goes - "Be careful what you wish for"...

Too much peace and passivity would probably be damaging to the human psyche, anyway - and I'm only half-joking with that one. ;)


As the old saying goes - "Be careful what you wish for"...
Interesting take on the subject. I vaguely remember a science fiction story which postulated a peaceful society. However, in order to achieve this, there was a portion of the earth's surface set asside called "Coventry." All people exhibiting violent tendencies were sent to Coventry, where there was no law and violence was the accepted mode of social interaction.

Man has killed man from the beginning of time, and each new frontier has brought new ways and new places to die. Why should the future be different?
Col. Corazon Santiago
"Planet: A Survivalist's Guide"

Kind of random, but meh. I believe that conflict is a necessary part of human nature. This doesn't mean competition (competition can be removed), it means conflict, people will always have different opinions and will always fight over them, in this way unifacation of the entire human race is not possible unless we are no longer humans.

O-oh! Don´t expect the Serbs to stop killing anyone anytime soon (I myself being a serb). We will always find excuses to do various nasty stuff against neighbours!

The Serbs are a warrior people. They have only known war throughout their entire existance, and it will be so. Forever.

It´s kind of sad. Really. Considering the amount of shit my people are responsible for inflicting and the amount of it we have suffered from too.

Peace doesn't mean lack of crime, or of police for that matter. It means that nations, and people, will have found better ways to solve their disputes than ramming their opinion down the others throats.

For that we need far more wisdom than we have shown so far. It can happen, I hope it does happen. Or it would require us meeting a challenge far greater than ourselves.

Peace. Oh yes... Like that's going to happen any time soon. Give me a speech in 100 years.

Or I'll throw your babies off the wall like I said. And shoot your family. Castrate your friends. And then have a party..

No, it will never happen short of mind control, which sucks in itself.

Either that or we take everyones bodies away and just leave them with their minds. In floating tanks... World Peace guys...this is the way forwards!

Interesting take on the subject. I vaguely remember a science fiction story which postulated a peaceful society. However, in order to achieve this, there was a portion of the earth's surface set asside called "Coventry." All people exhibiting violent tendencies were sent to Coventry, where there was no law and violence was the accepted mode of social interaction.I've read a good short sci-fi story that I can't for the life of me remember the title of that deals with human propensity for violence. The basic concept is that aliens make contact, tell us that we were a genetic experiment that failed so we're all going to be terminated. Somehow the various governments negotiate a week (I think) to "fix" the human race. In that week, everybody disarms and world peace is declared. Everybody suddenly loves everybody else. The aliens come back and say "But you misunderstand. You were meant to be soldiers, you're not aggressive enough." and Kablooey - end of the earth.

Not particularly relevant, I suppose, but I found it interesting. :)