Let me explain my view on peace with a little story. A few years back, the Ladyfaire was pregnant with our child. She got bumped a lot in grocery stores. Before and after the pregnancy it did not happen so much. I have some theories to explain this.
1. Some other woman saw the 'fat' and slow-moving person, and instead of thinking "I'll be merciful to this weak person." they thought "Let me kick this loser when they're down."
A. On Planet Kendrall in the Year of our Lord 2372, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of Richard the Gracious, Emperor of Known Space, the settlers did not import any carnivores. This necessitated some form of control on the rabbits who naturally enough would breed like rabbits. Genetic engineering had long ago been used to make lifespans of two hundred years possible. It was also simple enough to make certain functions non-functional after the bearing of three litters.
And from rabbits, the Gene Board moved on to Humans. Homo sapien paxilis they were named. This was more difficult as the instinct for aggression was closely tied to the lifeforce, and to the sexual drive. It was easy enough to make Homo Sapiens Dronicus, and there were small pockets of these all over Known Space. Creatures with no violence, and no sexual drive, and very little energy. They made excellent clerks.
Paxilis have a very strong sense of pattern-making, and a great amount of energy in the making of taboos. They require a rather strict, and unvarying educational program because they are easily led astray into the most hideous superstitions. Indeed, without proper Biblical and scientific training, they invent new superstitions at an astonishing rate.
But if their mindset is focused properly, they become conscientous objectors to any form of violence with a steely intensity. To harm someone weaker than themselves is to break numerous moral restrictions.
2. Jealousy is a fine and wonderful thing. I've read posts about people who got themselves wonderful jobs and great careers at the expense of having children, and instead of being honest, and admitting they made that choice, they brim over with hatred for 'breeders'. And they talk about how the stupid will inherit the Earth. Maybe instead, its the long-sighted who will inherit the Earth.
Women are different than men, and a desire to have children is stronger in them.
A. The Seriankei are not quite human, and they never were. They can however interbreed, and most of their mental traits which includes far speech, superior intellect, and the Perspective breed true. Over a dozen different species in a hundred lightyear long span of an arm of their home galaxy know them, and their Perspective.
The Seriankei see everyone the same way a parent sees a child. It is an inescapable awareness to them that every person is someone's child. Every person is a treasure of vast worth. This is their Perspective.
Incidentally, child abuse is unknown to the Seriankei, and while they have encountered it amongst other races, they categorize it as xutzan, unthinkable abomination. They literally lack the ability to understand the thought processes which lead to a variety of actions they categorize as xutzan of which child abuse is just one.
At the worst, a Seriankei can be somewhat condescending. They are known to refuse to sell items to people they think don't need it, or will misuse it. And they can be quite high-handed, and overly protective.
At their best, well, there are several races who are convinced that the Seriankei are Avatars of the One. This notion, the Seriankei deny even as they like most of the local races worship the One.
3. Then there is ideology which is also grand and great. There are too many people on this planet. Why we could fit everyone on this planet into Alaska with enough space to grow their own food, and have a thousand square foot house, and soon, we will be able to move into Outer Space which I hear is fairly large. And many Western nations are depopulating, but for some with a hate on for Humanity, this is not enough.
A. The Kran Drive changed the world. Two hundred dollars of parts, a modest ability with a screwdriver and wire cutters, a couple days of work, and add sunlight--instant interstellar drive with protective forcefield that kept out radiation and kept in oxygen.
The people of 2119 of Earth were unhappy with each other. Cities had been nuked by terrorists. Reprisals had put an end to that. In addition, Great Walls kept the barbarians out. Life, which had been reasonably free and easy suddenly got security check-pointed to a standstill. The economy in the prosperous nations grew at 1% on a good year.
The European disease of social stratification, and rigidity spread to the rest of the West.
In the East, tyrants used the excuse of the Great Walls, and the reprisals to shove their own people into sausage machines. Life for the tyrannized went from horrible to unspeakable.
In general, things were awful, and there was not much chance of things changing as reactionary forces got in control. It very much looked as if a new Dark Ages was about to break out.
And then Thomas Kran invented his drive.
And people started leaving for orbit, the Trojan Asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and further out. Soon, way, way further out.
At first people had to send robot ships back to load up on oxygen, but within a year, a half-dozen people had independenly invented a machine that took rock with oxygen, and turned it into
oxygen, and a bunch of melted rock. The simple solar mirror oxy-still extended visits to weeks. And then weeks became years as another innovation showed how to make water from rock.
Five years after Kran first tested his FTL capable drive, there were the first half-serious attempts made to fly to another star system.
Soon, the reactionary forces came after the escapees. But, it was always easier to 'up and scoot' than to catch someone. And so the reactionary forces ended up creating Kran's Diaspora which was a fifty lightyear wide sphere of nomads.
A long time ago, in areas where hunter-gatherer nomads lived there was little war. And what war there was did not shed much blood, although it made a lot of noise.
So it is now. A star system is considered well populated with two hundred people in it. If someone gets angry at another, he may snipe at him with weak laser beams built by the underdeveloped industry that hardly do more than rock the forcefield designed by Kran. Or he could rant and scream and fill the aether with blood-curdling threats which mean nothing. Such shouting matches often last for several days until both sides are exhausted. But most likely, an offended party will simply turn on his Kran drive, and seek new ground far away.
4. Just simple natural, organic viciousness. I'm convinced that a lot of it arose from the realization that here was a person who lacked the ability to defend themselves nimbly. I, at one time, would walk through a mall, and people would step out of my way. It had something to do with my over six feet in height, and the glowering fury on my face. My 'little' brother, who is even taller, and bigger, smiles at people who threaten him. Its not a mean smile. Kindly laughter hides in that smile along with a question, "Are you sure you really, really want to do that?"
A. On this Earth, the Supreme Court had activist judges who twisted the US Constitution until it was a pretzel. They ignored the plain meaning of words in order to 'legislate from the bench' with the enlightened social policies they and their allies in the mainstream media favored.
The Second Amendment was construed to mean that everyone had a duty to have a weapon, and be trained in it, and to carry it at all times...at government expense.
In another world, perhaps four hundred people are primarily responsible for much of the crime that afflicts the Capital City, Washington D.C.. In this world, one of those four hundred went up to a member of his same racial group, and attempted to steal the grandmother's purse so he could buy drugs. The grandmother smoothly drew the .40 calibre pistol she had trained on, and blew him away. Now there were 399 serious repeat criminals in the Capital City area.
There are a few accidents every year. Some people do stupid things like get drunk, and, for a joke, hand their gun to a toddler and have him point it at them. The toddler then shoots them.
But the amount of dead people is far less, and there are no areas of the city where a citizen is afraid to walk at any time of the day or night.
Also, the government is far more respectful of citizens. Senators in public speeches are far less likely to spread lies with a spanner when everyone in the crowd listening to them is armed.
When weapons are added to a responsible citizen, you get a more responsible citizen with the power to defend the Republic, and its citizens. Heinlein would not have been surprised.
Emperor Richard's Known Space, the Seriankei Trading Expanse, Kran's Diaspora, and Oddly Activist Judges' Earth are all places where the normal rules of violence, and some of the causes of such, have been altered. It is normal to have agression, violence, and war. In order to not have that baneful trio, you must change the nature of reality, or of its residents.
Now, here are a few seedlings:
1. In the Vale of Sa-lu-la, only those who embrace peace may stay. A great spell bars those with violence in them from entering. It does not protect against inter-dimensional visitors. But the first openly violent act such a visitor does will get him teleported out of the Vale to what is called the Unelightened World.
3. The Khardsolan are an Unfallen race of humanoids. The males are bald. Both genders have blue skin which shades from pale to dark blue. They all swim exceedingly well, and live in an archipelago of complete peace. They are also immortal. In addition, each one is a 2@5 miracle worker.
Interesting Eric. I'm reading the rulebook as we speak, and I'm gleaning quite a bit. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute more on Music Wars beta shortly. How's the alpha coming?
More Seedlings:
2. The Galactic Confederation is what we call them. They allow that because they understand we are not mature enough to really understand their nature.
Twenty years ago, the Confederation came to us in great, glass ships, and spoke kindly to us. Those who are wise are allowed to leave the planet, and travel the Confederation, in certain areas. Usually such travellers have guides.
Such travellers often bring back phenomenal riches, which they care little for.
The whole of Earth's Establishment is geared toward turning Humans into Peaceful, and getting off probationary status, and obtaining both spiritual and physical benefits from what most people openly acknowledge as the Elder Races.
4. The Temlath are sentient, bipedal, furred, massive herbivores. They have no natural enemies being too large to be threatened by any creature on their home planet.
They have no concept except madness for violence.
The mere thought of violence is enough to make them ill, and possibly collapse. Unfortunately for the verser visitor, they only eat vegetables, and they are Constant Telepaths.
They will not understand Human's teeth as they see no reason for incisors.
They look impressively dangerous at over five hundred pounds and with seven feet of height, but the mere thought of a verser deciding to 'if neccessary protect myself with my gun' is enough to knock one of them out for several hours.
5. Children's Valley is ruled over by the Arch-Sorceress Karena. Anyone who enters the valley becomes physically a toddler. While many residents are toddlers indeed, others are older. But even the older ones have the difficulty of needing a nap because their bodies impose limits even if their mental maturity is greater.
There are former bandits who unwisely sought to raid the Arch-Sorceress, and now seek to steal other childrens' milk and cookies. There are a number of members of the Resistance Council which seeks to overthrow Karena, or escape from the Valley.
Enforcing the peace are Karena's dragonets. These intelligent beasts can spit Naptime, a magical sedative, or spread Itch with poison sacs on their hands, which is a temporary case of poison ivy. Mostly they carry milk and cookies (magically augmented to be healthy), and books for the teddy bears.
The magical teddy bears are the 'Mommies', and the dragonets are the 'Daddy enforcers and gophers'.
Karena does not directly monitor, but complaints do reach her ears in the end of the day reports the dragonet chief gives her. And she has sufficient power to bind the powers of a number of her rivals, and turn them into children.
It is said she began this when she decided that the problem with Alek the Blackhanded was his poor child-rearing. So she took it on herself to turn him into a child, and raise him right. After that it mushroomed.
John, thats too complicated and in depth for me, right now.
Eric
Have you read C. S. Lewis' The Great Divorce? This is one of the features of the grey town, the "valley of the shadow of death" which is about to become the place of eternal darkness. People are able to create their own homes just by thinking them into existence, so they keep moving further and further away from each other, and there are thousands of miles of abandoned buildings and empty neighborhoods, everyone ultimately isolating himself for eternity.So it is now. A star system is considered well populated with two hundred people in it. If someone gets angry at another, he may snipe at him with weak laser beams built by the underdeveloped industry that hardly do more than rock the forcefield designed by Kran. Or he could rant and scream and fill the aether with blood-curdling threats which mean nothing. Such shouting matches often last for several days until both sides are exhausted. But most likely, an offended party will simply turn on his Kran drive, and seek new ground far away.
Interesting idea; interesting way to make it a playable concept.
--M. J. Young
I've read The Space Trilogy, and Chronicles of Narnia, and Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.
I suspect that Lewis may be overly influenced by his English upbringing here.
The major inspiration for this is hunter-gatherer tribes, what some call Stone Age tribes. They have relatively little serious inter-tribal violence as two tribes' warriors will gather for a day, shout threats across a meadow, and throw spears at close to maximum range. Someone might get a serious scratch as a wound. War's over.
And such nomadic tribes can move about a lot to avoid conflict. Also, they have very little property.