>
> Mike Shupp asked: What kind of superiority did Eropeans have which led
them to
> temporary mastery of the planet?
>
> dlj replied: "The thing that has distinguished north Europeans over the
past
> 500 years...is simply the will to mass violence, and the willingness to
direct
> it to other cultures and individuals..."
>
> I asked dlj: "And how did Europeans acquire this 'will to vioence' and
> 'willingness to direct it to other cultures?' Is it in the genes?"
>
> dlj replied: "Yes, it's in the genes," though diet, religion, and social
> structure have something to do with it, too.
>
> dlj: If you think its in the genes, how would you respond if someone were
to
> point out that this sounds just a bit like racism?
>
> Jim Blaut
Jim,
This is an entirely dishonest recounting of our private exchange.
My reply to the above is Sure: the human race.
What I said in our private exchange was that the genetic component of the
will to violence is general -- and that what needs explanation is the
performance of civilization. It is this latter, as exemplified by large
and comparatively non-violent societies as China and India, in which I drew
attention to diet (vegetarian, based on nitrogen-fixing lentils and soy),
literacy, and social organization.
I shall not reply privately to any more mail from Mr. Blaut. If he cares to
write privately to me, the act of doing so waives the right of privacy in
my reply.
-dlj.