in fact be careful about associating with steven pinker.e careful about signing his books because you might be next. you were asked earlier point i'd like to come back to. about the asymmetries and differences of these two types of attacks on the reality-based war. and i'd like to mention a few . one of them gets directly to your place in academia. when people ask me which of the two i worry about more, i'm more worried about the attacks from disinformation because it's essentially seized control of an entire political party. the republican party is now unfortunately this sounds partisan, i don't think it is and it's just an observation take it or leave it. i think the republican party is operating as a propaganda it's led by an authoritarian who has developed take cult of personality and this is a very very dangerous thing in a democracy where there are only two parties. it comes closer to power than i think any of the other threatshe right now. but there's a different kind of menace that's also quite seriously which i think you just allud

but are you making the argument that you think pinker is wrong? it is central argument that these are the least violent times in human history. i think it depends what you're talking about. if you're talking about certain societies, yes, they are enjoying least less violent times, although, i mean, there are exceptions is own country. the united states has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. you know, it's way out on the end of one scale for most of the developed world. but what i think about war is it's not that sort of violence. it uses violence is an element, but war is highly organized and anthropologist sentiment. i've been thinking about it ever since war is the most organized human activities and you apply violence in war, but you do it often and very cold and calculating way and so war is not the same as the violence. you might see in societies where violence is endemic, what people used to beating each other up and then trying to kill each other or simply been cruel to each other. war is organized purpose of violence. and so i

they are warning people don't even think about agreeing with steven pinker. in fact be careful about associating with steven pinker, be careful about citing his books because you might be next. you asked earlier a point i would like to come back to because it is germane to this, about the assem -- about the asymme asymmetries. when people ask me about which of the two i worry about more, i'm more worried about the attack from disinformation because it's essentially seizes control of an entire political party, of which we only have two. the republican party now unfortunately, this sounds partisan, i don't think it is. this is an observation. take it or leave it. i think the republican party is operating as a propaganda organization, led by an authoritarian who has developed a cult personality. this is a very very dangerous thing in a democracy where there are only two parties. this comes closer to power than i think any of the other threats right now. but there's a different kind of menace that's also quite serious, which i think you just alluded to, in cancel

. >> steven pinker advanced a thesis that we are becoming less violent as an species. i'm skeptical about this myself. as i say i live with small children so violence is a constant in my life. if he is right, what are the implications for war? might we turn to drones and artificial intelligence as a way of hiding violence or will we become past? >> it is hard to predict. i think the distinctions, pinker talks about how societies in the developed part of the world have become less violent and willing to tolerate things like public education and unusual to see people fighting in the streets. what is less likely to go to war. the individual is going to commit, they spend a lot of time around ordinary people. training, inculcation of values make a huge difference in the willingness of people to fight. >> your discussion of how organized violence begins when hunter gatherers were replaced by cultural groups. expand on that for a moment. >> it is highly speculative, never get definitive evidence but it seems hunter gatherers were -- a fair degree of violence, people did kill

they are saying don't even think of it agreeing with steven pinker.areful about even associating yourself. be careful about signing his books because you might be next. you asked earlier about a point i would like to come back to on the asymmetries and differences of the two types of attacks on the reality-based community. and i would like to mention a few because one of them gets directly to your place in academia.ac me which of the two i worry about more it's more from the disinformation because essentially it seized control of an entire political party of which we have only two. the republican party it sounds partisan. i don't think it is i think it is just an observation. i think the republican party is operating as the propaganda led by an authoritarian who was developed the call to personality. this is a very dangerous thing in a democracy where there's only two parties and this comes closer to power of and i think any of the other threats right now. but there's a different kind of menace that's also quite serious which i think you just eluded t

. >> particularly steven pinker has an advance piece that's becoming less violent as a species.i am skeptical about this myself. but as i said i live for small children so violence is more or less constant in my life. might return to drones in artificial intelligence as a way of hiding violence. or will? we actually become pessimist? >> i don't know. it's very hard to m predict. pinker talks about how society and that felt part of the world there are less willing to tolerate violence in the streets. it's not unusual to see people fighting in the streets and ways of not perhaps as much now except perhaps the northern island for the moment. again the individual feels like. i think one of the things the military do is spend it off a lot of time learning how to turn ordinary people and to those who fight. that's why there's so much training and preparation. i think training with the values to make a huge difference on the willingness of people to fight. >> host: the marvelous things about this book is your discussion about organized violence begins when weather gatherers were placed

he had steve pinker talk about this.ver we see don he says we have to make sure people realize that these i ideas are working. we have a long way to go to help people across the world is not even imaginable tumor three years ago that challenges real we have to make sure we bring more and more people to recognize what actually works to solve these problems. >> but so many are concerned about short-term problems or short-term profits rather than how can i be successful over a long period? and then you become focused on building capabilities. and then appealing to a broad range of people those across the ideological spectrum you can see them and all those who endorsed that believes in people it is across the ideologicals spectrum. that is because we are offering a a different way. a better way. they are sick of this tribal where one —- warfare people wanting to succeed rather than i helping each other. >> and with that collectivist philosophy. and to celebrate the individual to use as a counterweight. >> i would say rather

. >> if we channels steve pinker in the long run things get better and as you pointed out with majortechnology and disruption so i would bet 50 or so now things to be a lot better and we will have figure this out. however for the next ten or 20 years i think what has happened to us the tower of babel was destroyed between 2009 and 2012 let's confound their language they don't understand one another while it's always difficult to find the truth, i think that after 2012 we are in babel and social media it was to create hard to create narratives and everything is a battle to put your narrative put forth. 's we will never again find compassionate say never give in the next 20 years we cannot find shared truth. so our ability even to agree on the faxes compromised so i guess i would say to julie long-term optimism you have to be an optimist long-term if you look at history but short-term i am very pessimistic that long-term it willon be great. [laughter] >> your book is wonderful i urge everybody to buy and read it. >> thank you for putting on a fantastic event and rolling with the punche

i mean, i think this is distinction to be made between and pinker talks about how society is particularly in develop part of the world. the folks up north have become less violent and less willing to tolerate things like public executions or skepticals and less willing to tolerate violence in the street and not unusual to see people fighting in streets neng ways that you wouldn't perhaps as much now accept perhaps in northern ireland at the moment. but -- where would that mean for going to war again whaing the individual feels like and what the individuals is going to commit is not war making, and i think one of the things that the military does spend and awful lot of time on how to turn ordinary people into civilians into those who fight so much train and preparation so ping -- training in values could make a huge difference in the willingness of people to fight. >> one of the things about this intook your discussion on how organized violence begins in the human community andth gaered in place bag or cultural groups would you expand on that for a moment? >> well it is highly speculative

marion to be's work has been awesome on this, steve pinker talked about this. we cite you extensively in the book, whenever we see don he says we have to make sure people realize these ideas are working, they are helping empower people across the world to an extent that was not imaginable to 300 years ago. the trend is positive, the challenge is real but we have to bring more people to recognize what works in solving these problems. >> it is the same problem in business. so many are concerned about short-term problems or short-term profits rather than how can i be successful over a long period and then you become focused on building capabilities, that is what we need to be focused on, building capabilities and appealing to a broad range of people and when i see all the people across the ideological spectrum who are attracted to ideas i think you can see, all the people who endorsed -- believe in people, they are across the ideological spectrum and that is because we are offering a different way, a better way, they are sick of this tribal warfare where people tr

while the pinker tons were hot on their tail, hillary farrington shot william pinkerton in the side when detective had him cornered in a kentucky farm. pinkerton however was not killed. he managed to subdue hillary and cuff him. the next day they were en route to columbus, kentucky on a paddle boat when hillary broke loose and grabbed pinkerton's shotgun. the gun discharged and grazed pinkerton's skull but again did not kill him. before hillary could aim at the detective, he delivered an uppercut. he landed on the paddle wheel. i bet you can guess what happened next, he was chopped to pieces. his brother meantime had been captured in farmingdale, illinois. he had been returned to union city, tennessee for the trial. however, there were many angry people in the town that this had happened and while he was in prison awaiting his trial a mob formed, broke into the prison, and took him out and lynched him. these are some of the most notorious of the wild west gangs. now, outlaw gangs had existed before the war because the frontier was hard to police and so those who liked to operate outside