[Taxacom] Modern human violence

[Kenneth Kinman]

Hi All,
      I've been watching "The Violence Paradox" on PBS tonight.  And I wonder how accurate the view is that violence (per 100,000 people) is truly decreasing in modern times.  I guess it depends on your definition of violence and how you evaluate the evidence.  "Steven Pinker believes we may be living in one of the most peaceful periods in human existence."  However, John Gray believes that Pinker is wrong.
      I guess our view of violence in modern America (in particular) is somewhat exaggerated by today's emphasis on stories about violence, and how we are bombarded by such stories on a daily basis by television and the internet.  But are the numbers of murders and acts of domestic violence (per 100.000 of the population) really increasing or declining over long periods of time?  And deaths by warfare seemed to have declined from high numbers during the two World Wars (especially if you include civilian deaths in World War II).
      "The Violent Paradox" program suggests that testosterone levels in male humans have been selectively decreasing over time.  But have nuclear weapons and the fear of "mutual assured destruction" somehow suppressed human violence by warfare, or just postponed it until some warped dictator wipes out tens of millions of people?  Or alternatively, could a massive disruption of our power grids (especially in the winter) cripple out modern society so that millions die from starvation and societal unrest.   In other words, are we living on BORROWED TIME?  If so, how can we continue to live on borrowed time for a few more decades?  Or am I being overly pessimistic about what the future might hold?  Frankly, I bounce back and forth between optimism and pessimism.
                   ---------------------Ken

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/john-gray-steven-pinker-wrong-violence-war-declining

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-violence-paradox/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/media/original_images/violence-paradox-img.jpg]<https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-violence-paradox/>
The Violence Paradox | NOVA | PBS<https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-violence-paradox/>
Despite the constant news of violence, from mass shootings to wars, psychologist Steven Pinker believes we may be living in one of the most peaceful periods in human existence. Could it be true ...
www.pbs.org