Religion and nationalist jingoism, singly and in combination rot the brains of billions. Add in tribalism, racism, sexism and a few other "isms" and we are doomed to see civilisation wither on an environmentally degraded planet until large parts of the world are reduced to cannibalism. Why? because the two legged vermin refuse to think and act with a rational concern for themselves, their fellows and their planet. It is not an innate inability but laziness and a conditioned response to brainwashing.
What to do about it? Teach everyone to read, write, add up and THINK. Offer genuine education to those who want it. At the end of compulsory education have a series of tests of the willingness and ability to think (not blind belief in anything). Those who fail to be put down like any other dangerous wild animal. Have regular reviews for adults with the same consequences.
Promote internationalism and atheism. Where nations collectively exhibit signs of deep and dangerous irrationality we should take steps to diminish their influence. As well as exposing their lunacy, stupidity etcetera we could try very hard to disengage economically and socially. The alternative would be to recolonise most of the planet. We need to put our own house in order first.
Examples of deep and dangerous irrationality:
US gun control legislation (effectively none).
Belief that terrorising terrorists with drone strikes, kidnapping, torture, the murder of innocent civilians etcetera actually works. Only two things work with terrorists (including those who try to terrorise other terrorists). Those are: their death and the destruction of the social, political, economic and religious networks that bred them; or intense and prolonged psychotherapy with close monitoring thereafter. The latter is impractical on a large scale.
Launching wars of aggression to appease the megalomania of politicians or seize natural resources - Iraq II.
The belief that women are to be used and abused as pleases men - the recent New Delhi gang rape which is duplicated on a smaller scale in the inner cities of many Western countries including this one. It is a gang initiation rite in some places.
The belief that male children are more valuable, leading to sex selective abortion, female infanticide, worse food and education for females etcetera. India and China have a ridiculously high proportion of young males to young females. This will surely lead to trouble.
Misogyny as practised in most Islamic countries and many allegedly Christian developing countries.
The belief that some politician claiming a pipeline to a non existent deity is infallible. Popes and Ayatollahs take note.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Why, me of course. I wouldn't trust you lot.
