The End of War?

"Of course, all human behavior ultimately stems from our biology. But the sudden emergence of war around 10,000 BCE and its recent decline suggest it's primarily a cultural phenomenon and one that culture is now helping us to overcome. There have been no international wars since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and no wars between major industrialized powers since the end of World War II. Most conflicts now consist of guerilla wars, insurgencies, and terrorism—or what the political scientist John Mueller of Ohio State University calls the remnants of war... At least part of the decline, he says, can be attributed to a surge in the number of democracies since World War II, from 20 to nearly 100 (depending on how democracy is defined). Since democracies rarely, if ever, wage war against each other, we may well see a continuing decline in the magnitude of armed conflict."

Steven Pinker identifies several other cultural factors contributing to the modern decline of violence, both between and within states:

1. The creation of stable states with effective legal systems and police forces has eliminated the endless feuding that plagued many tribal societies.

2. Increased life expectancies make us less willing to risk our lives by engaging in violence.

3. As a result of globalization and communications, we have become increasingly interdependent on—and empathetic toward—others outside of our immediate "tribes."

Does Peace Have a Chance?
by John Horgan
http://www.slate.com/id/2224275/