POLITICS

[Paddy™]

In Steve Pinker's book "The Better Angels of Our Nature" he argues that it is the creation of governments which has been largely responsible for the extreme and persistent decline in violence our species has witnessed throughout the entire span of our history. When government has the monopoly on violence (criminal punishment, war, etc.) it removes the power to commit violence from the hands of individuals. This has - evidently - created a situation which has reduced the prevalence of violence from every angle you care to look at it, and continues to do so as generations pass by.

Whether or not one agrees with Steve is another matter, of course!