I am going to post my book in short installments again starting tomorrow. Then, I swear to the God I do still believe in, I'm not re-writing it again. 







For this last "current" post, I will comment on the latest round of madness in Syria because I am finding it horrible, but in another way, fascinating. What I find fascinating is the way in which the struggles in the world are slowly but surely turning from battles between armies to battles between memes and systems of memes. 

The US could crush every army in Syria, the Russians included, in a couple of months if it were deeply motivated to do so. But the diplomats are still arguing in the UN and in the media with Russia and Syria. I think Kerry and Obama want to wait until they are sure that they have on their side that meme complex that gets labeled "world opinion". Then, if American troops go in - along with troops from a whole set of allies, as was the case originally in Afghanistan, but not Iraq - most of the world's population will raise no protest. The sentiment will be: "Assad, you've been asking for this for years. You're only getting what you deserve." 

And of course, as was the case in WWII, the US public will have to be persuaded to accept the deaths of several thousand of their young people as well. But, as reluctant as Obama is to see young Americans die yet again for the madness that is the Middle East, American boots on the ground of Syria and planes in the air above could come before the end of this year. 

The degree to which the rebellion in Syria is becoming a struggle of memes and concept systems built of memes is rising with each year that passes. All sides are now admitting openly that they must win the battle for hearts and minds before they can hope to win the battle for turf. We are moving - at a glacial pace, but still moving - toward a situation in which the big questions of world politics will be settled by reasoning and evidence instead of by burning and killing. We just need to get a science of morality based on clear, accessible reasoning and evidence out there in front of the world's people. Then we will be able reason our way through disputes and drop the atavistic shackle that has chained us to the past for so long.  

And by the way, I believe that my model may seem pretty primitive in a couple of decades. But I am confident that all future models of human history that rest on reasoning and evidence will prove that the way of pluralistic democracy is the way our species must go if we want to live.  

This trend in world affairs is one more bit of evidence supporting H.G. Wells' famous quote: "Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe." Difficult as it sounds, Kerry really is trying to educate the world. He is trying to show that the ISIS elements in Syria can be dealt with later. First, Assad's regime must be ended. The Syrians want democracy. All people sooner or later do.  

Those of us who love peace, who know what a WWIII would be, above all, have to believe that humanity can do this. We can get past the madness of the past. A moral realist model of human social evolution, one so clear that everyone will be able to understand it, will be the way. 

Which is why I'm going to post my book one last time. When it is all up on this blog, then I am going to publish it - self-publish if I have to - a few hundred copies for family and friends, then put it on Amazon and go back to writing creative things. 

In blunt terms, I'm almost out of gas. I'm beginning to feel my 67 years. 

In the shadow of the mushroom cloud, nevertheless friends, have a good day.