“One definition of the wicked is that they will resort to whatever means are necessary to achieve their ends. Therefore, if those who oppose wickedness don't learn the art of war, they will be helpless.” IfsMeanArtWarEndsAchieveDefinitionsWickedHelplessWickednessResortsArt Of War Author:George Friedman
“I think there are worse things than war. For example, injustice.” ThinkingWarExampleInjustice Author:George Friedman
“We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore [I refuse] to say that I will not live in a moral circumstance that requires violence.” MoralViolenceCircumstancesRefuseAnticipate Author:George Friedman
“In a way, we can have a much easier discussion about the future of technology than we can about why a young man kills another man in a war.” MenWayWarYoungTechnologyEasierDiscussionYoung ManAnother Man Author:George Friedman
“The importance of the question and the availability of an answer are two different things. I'm not willing to state that because the question is fundamental, therefore I possess the answer. And I'm certainly not willing to say that since I don't possess the answer, I'll pretend that I do.” TwoDifferentStatesAnswersWillingImportanceFundamentalsDifferent ThingsAvailabilityTwo Different Things Author:George Friedman
“We should talk about the ultimate cause of war. It's a question we should never stop asking, because if we do, there's a chance, however remote, that we might miss an opportunity to reduce the occurrence of war.” IfsShouldWarMightOpportunityCausesChanceMissingUltimateAskingCauses Of War Author:Jaron Lanier
“There's no question that males are more violent and more prone to the type of hierarchical organizations that lead to war. War is largely a male activity. In fact, there is some correlation [between making war and] having an excess of males in the population.” WarFactsTypeActivityOrganizationMalesPopulationViolentExcessCorrelation Author:Jaron Lanier
“All over the world today people have a very strong desire to find a sense of identity, and at the same time that's coupled with the rise of absolutely absurd wars that relate to ethnic identity. Perhaps there is something deeply ingrained in people that relates to a sense of belonging, and without that, identity doesn't seem as real as it should.” PeopleWorldShouldWarRealSeemsTodayDesireStrongIdentityAbsurdRelateBelongingVery StrongWorld TodayStrong DesireEthnic Identity Author:Jaron Lanier
“Is war an inevitable outcome of competing interests in a complex society? In other words, would war be the same even if human nature were very different? There are mathematical models of large groups working together that lead to conflict on a reliable basis. So there's a whole other view of war that is not psychological at all.” IfsHumansDifferentWarWholeTogetherInterestViewsGroupsHuman NatureConflictModelsBasesComplexesPsychologicalMathematicalInevitableOutcomesWorking TogetherCompetingLarge GroupsMathematical Models Author:Jaron Lanier
“What is extraordinary is that in the United States the current culture desires feelings of machismo and power, but at the same time has absolutely no taste whatsoever for even the slightest loss or bloodshed or ickiness. That's a fascinating combination.” StatesFeelingsDesireCultureLossUnitedUnited StatesTasteExtraordinaryCurrentsCombinationFascinatingBloodshedMachismo Author:Jaron Lanier