Are people becoming nicer?

[The Orson Empire]

You can't make a war civil. The two are mutually exclusive. Wars are never civil- they are always violent.

Dude, it's like you're not even reading. Let me put it this way, more civil.

War's are not civil. You cannot make something that is not civil at all more civil. The two are mutually exclusive.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

there is no right or wrong, good or bad people, everything is subjective etc

[The Sotoan Union]

SCOTUS is dismantling civil rights.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/10/us/robert ... ights-law/

Police are armed with military weapons, and use them indiscriminately.

America has more people in jail than any other country.

http://billmoyers.com/2013/12/16/land-o ... prisoners/

I cannot think of any group of leaders in any category who are respected.

No, we are not nice.

Civil rights are up. There's no denying that.

You know what they do when there's a shooting in some European countries? They call the actual military. Not even SWAT, but the actual military. When America does that, then you can say that our police are militarized.

The crime rate is still down in America, as it is in all developed countries.

And you're just not talking to the right group of people.

[The Sotoan Union]

Dude, it's like you're not even reading. Let me put it this way, more civil.

War's are not civil. You cannot make something that is not civil at all more civil. The two are mutually exclusive.

Don't pretend that war hasn't changed. Civilian deaths are down. War crimes have limited what can be done. The devastating tactics that have made some wars so violent have been erased. War has gotten less and less violent, and don't pretend that it doesn't matter. The difference is millions of lives spared.

[Syonanto]

Then why do we behave differently then we used to?

Can you provide evidence that "we" are behaving differently than we used to? My thesis is that human beings as a species are behaving as they always have. I don't see any evidence of a fundamental shift in human nature.

[The Sotoan Union]

Then why do we behave differently then we used to?

Can you provide evidence that "we" are behaving differently than we used to? My thesis is that human beings as a species are behaving as we always have.

Society has definitely changed. But the idea that human beings are the same deep down is still a valid point. Like I mentioned at the end, Freud would argue that we are all savage creatures. If that were true then we would always have these violent urges. They would simply be repressed rather than erased.

[Torrumbarry]

there is no right or wrong, good or bad people, everything is subjective etc

Agreed, although there is a 'moral code' that a majority of humanity complies with; it all boils down to the concerned person's scope and discernment of that 'moral code'. Those that commit offenses may comprehend their wrongdoing, or, in contrast, may not at all. THAT is how we can discern those 'nice' people from those 'not-so-nice' people...

[Imsogone]

If...
You can look at the Middle East and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Russia and the Ukraine and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at American politics and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Mexican drug cartels and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at the whole shitty hot mess in Ferguson and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Arizona and say "people are becoming nicer".
Then may I suggest that you are delusional?

Individuals are nice. Individuals help people. The human race, as a whole, is a nasty-ass bunch of naked apes flinging feces at each other. It's been this way since the beginning of history, possibly before.

[The Sotoan Union]

If...
You can look at the Middle East and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Russia and the Ukraine and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at American politics and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Mexican drug cartels and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at the whole shitty hot mess in Ferguson and say "people are becoming nicer".
You can look at Arizona and say "people are becoming nicer".
Then may I suggest that you are delusional?

Individuals are nice. Individuals help people. The human race is a nasty-ass bunch of naked apes flinging feces at each other. It's been this since the beginning of history, possibly before.

I can just as easily point to all the nasty things in the OP as examples of things we don't do anymore and say that you are delusional for ignoring evidence that we are becoming nicer.

Don't act like I didn't make any points.

[Syonanto]

Can you provide evidence that "we" are behaving differently than we used to? My thesis is that human beings as a species are behaving as we always have.

Society has definitely changed.

Which society? There's more than one, you know.

But the idea that human beings are the same deep down is still a valid point. Like I mentioned at the end, Freud would argue that we are all savage creatures. If that were true then we would always have these violent urges. They would simply be repressed rather than erased.

I don't agree with Freud or others who claim that human beings are inherently violent, although I think the potential for violence and brutality is certainly there, and that this potential can be (and frequently is) brought out under certain circumstances.

[Soselo]

there is no right or wrong, good or bad people, everything is subjective etc

When people refuse to do the right thing it doesn't mean there is no right.

[Metusimorr]

Dude, it's like you're not even reading. Let me put it this way, more civil.

War's are not civil. You cannot make something that is not civil at all more civil. The two are mutually exclusive.

I agree that wars generally aren't civil but you certainly do get wars that are less civil than others. The Boer Wars, for instance, wouldn't be considered to be particularly civil by themselves but then, compared to the conquests of Attila the Hun, they would appear perfectly gentlemanly.

[Arkolon]

The whole globalised, inter-connected capitalist economy helped quite a bit, too.

Funny. The previous major period of capitalist globalization ended in the First World War.

But in any case, we should all keep in mind that the OP is talking about more issues than just war...

Marxism wasn't funny the first few times, it's not going to be taken in any more positive light now.

[Soselo]

Funny. The previous major period of capitalist globalization ended in the First World War.

But in any case, we should all keep in mind that the OP is talking about more issues than just war...

Marxism wasn't funny the first few times, it's not going to be taken in any more positive light now.

Alternatives to capitalism aren't only marxism.

[The Sotoan Union]

Society has definitely changed.

Which society? There's more than one, you know.

But the idea that human beings are the same deep down is still a valid point. Like I mentioned at the end, Freud would argue that we are all savage creatures. If that were true then we would always have these violent urges. They would simply be repressed rather than erased.

I don't agree with Freud or others who claim that human beings are inherently violent, although I think the potential for violence and brutality is certainly there, and that this potential can be (and frequently is) brought out under certain circumstances.

All societies really. Sorry if I only provided examples of western societies in the OP. An example from China in the NY Times article was that a Chinese character for cutting off people's noses is no longer taught in the language.

But lack of examples aside the articles mentioned referenced that as a whole humanity is becoming less violent compared to previous time periods. I would assume that the psychology today article accounted for cross cultural validity.

[Arkolon]

Marxism wasn't funny the first few times, it's not going to be taken in any more positive light now.

Alternatives to capitalism aren't only marxism.

Constantinopolis is a Marxist, and blaming everything ever on the wickedly shifting of capital and the wiping of "dead capital" through disastrous wars is inherently a Marxist perspective.

[Zelacraux]

War's are not civil. You cannot make something that is not civil at all more civil. The two are mutually exclusive.

Don't pretend that war hasn't changed. Civilian deaths are down. War crimes have limited what can be done. The devastating tactics that have made some wars so violent have been erased. War has gotten less and less violent, and don't pretend that it doesn't matter. The difference is millions of lives spared.

That's true. In America's case, the soldiers are told to shoot AFTER the enemy starts shooting. Why? Because America's military is very destructive. Back in World War 1, America didn't care about the enemy. They just shot recklessly to get rid of the enemy.

[Communal Ecotopia]

No, I think that people are just starting to care less about stuff that isn't effecting them directly.

It's much easier to be polite and respectful when you can tolerate others' lifestyle choices or existence.

Yes, I think this is very true.

[Parti Ouvrier]

It only took 10,000 years of human civilization. How long have women been considered property?

A long time, but it hasn't always been the case.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/bebel/1 ... h01.htm#s3
Anyway, I'd say that with capital being international today, a divided workforce is less efficient. Also, it is harder to discriminate as harshly as before against women, non-whites, Jews, gays, etc. And with higher levels of education, people who are better traveled and even media have made propaganda more difficult to believe. So yes, people are, if you like, 'getting nicer' or just more aware, human, sceptical of the ruling class ideas and have a greater potential to return to our humanity on a higher level.

[Prezelly]

People are not becoming nicer. but they are learning to keep their mouths shut about it

[The Orson Empire]

War's are not civil. You cannot make something that is not civil at all more civil. The two are mutually exclusive.

Don't pretend that war hasn't changed. Civilian deaths are down. War crimes have limited what can be done. The devastating tactics that have made some wars so violent have been erased. War has gotten less and less violent, and don't pretend that it doesn't matter. The difference is millions of lives spared.

This does not change the fact that war is still violent and not civil.

Even still, all of the rules and regulations we have regarding war crimes means nothing if they cannot be enforced. If you expect the United Nations to do this, than think again, because they can't really enforce anything.