war or peace?

[antaeus]

which achieves more for the political advancement of society?

[jankren]

War!

[larry]

War, or reasons relating to war or defense, has attributed around 90% of all human inventions

[antaeus]

War, or reasons relating to war or defense, has attributed around 90% of all human inventions

can you back up this statement?

[ivan_the_terrible]

can you back up this statement?

I very much doubt he can.

Most of the technology that is actually useful to people doesn't come from the military. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking peace is much better.

[LSJ]

Useful inventions (non-murder centred) that were invented for war are few in number compared to inventions for peace, but their importance is significant, ie. radar, internet, computers, jets, and rockets.

Non-war related inventions are great in number and often overlooked, such as medicine, the wheel, metallurgy, clothing, plows, industrial machinery, steam power, the sail, the boat, domestication of animals, etcetera.
Some are mistakenly associated with war, like nuclear power, which was pondered upon as an energy source by the physicists before anyone designed a weapon based upon it.

[Duke_of_Bavaria]

I very much doubt he can.

Most of the technology that is actually useful to people doesn't come from the military. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking peace is much better.

Wrong.
I doubt it's 90 % but alot of the scientific comforts we have today are a result of ww2 for an example. Wars always bring technological advancement. Hell - even the autobahn is a result of ww2.

Further; the internet was developed as a military program to begin with.

[Bokks]

I very much doubt he can.

Most of the technology that is actually useful to people doesn't come from the military. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking peace is much better.

This is wrong, actually. I know that someone already said so, but I thought I'd present a few examples.
The cell phone, for example, is a military invention. It is also made possible by cell-towers, designed for military implacements to have a more dependable form of fized-communication. Rubber, designed for military wagons. Silly-Putty, designed originally for war planes of WWII. WWI was said to have, in two years, required the rapid development of air-travel then 30 years of peace ever could. The computer, designed for faster computation abilities and control. Satellites, designed for spying, defense and (something that shouldn't be ignored) an expression of military prowess and might (the pea-cock flapping his feathers) Polyester designed for stronger clothing. Everything that is digital, from watches to cameras to microphones. Motors, improved motors, and probably most of what you use that you yourself cannot make with a stick and cotton.
It's actually probably more than 90% of everything that we use that has been designed or bettered for military purposes.

At that end, peace achieves more for the political advancement of society.
War of course strengthens it, and as we can see feeds the mechanisms for which we live our lives. War also makes stronger, more efficient government possible: it's no mere coincidence that the US, UK and Japan have been or are military leaders. However war also makes us do terribly rash decisions, many that we regret later. Peace, however, gives us the power of expansion after war. It allows us to question ourselves, to question government. It gives us the room to breath, and as an advancement of anything would require, the ability to utilize and develope what we had invented for war.

Technologically, war will always trump the advancements made from peace. But politically, peace advaces us far more than war ever could. because only peace can show us the greatest bond that we all share, and that is our humanity. War feeds off of our small differences, making them seem much bigger. Peace puts us all on the same field, where we should be.

... if any of you own a greeting card company, I give you permission to use that! I want 10% of the profits, though!

[Dr. Croccer]

can you back up this statement?

WWI? (Tanks, planes, gas, dispensable razor blades holders (inspired by machineguns, masks, combat helmets), WWII (peninciline, rockets, nuclear technology, assault rifles, modern tanks, computers)?

[Oldgamer]

I'll have to agree with Bavaria, Hellheaven, Laconian, Dr. Croccer, and Jankren (if I missed anyone, my apologies!).

War is the primary motivation behind most of the useful inventions by human beings, since the first time a primitive man discovered that hitting something (or someone) over the head with a rock killed faster than kicking it.

[ehecatzin]

I dont think either war or peace are more able to bring more inventions, if anything one invention for war can be used for peace, and viceversa, its need that makes inventions possible, and need is always present weather it be on war or peace.

[hellheaven1987]

War!!!

Although many early inventions were not developed from military, but most of them developed so rapidly only because war.

[ivan_the_terrible]

Even if that was the case, the cost-benefit scenario isn't so favourable towards war.

I would rather have slower progress and less killing, than faster progress and more killing.

Wrong.
I doubt it's 90 % but alot of the scientific comforts we have today are a result of ww2 for an example. Wars always bring technological advancement. Hell - even the autobahn is a result of ww2.

Further; the internet was developed as a military program to begin with.

A lot, yes. But not most. Certainly nowhere near 90%.

[jankren]

Danzig or War?

[Surgeon]

Wasn't the golf ball's design based on a the bouncing bomb used to blow up dams? Or was that the other way around? You can't beat golf!

Anyway, what exactly do you mean by "political" advancement of society?

[Laconian]

War. Let;s look at the evolution of the chariot. Chariot-> cart-> wagon ->carriage->car->aeroplane and the world keeps spinning.

[Surgeon]

War gave us awesome things like silly putty.

[Valentin the II]

War definately.
Humans need stimulation to invent, and nothing gives more stimulation than a gun pointed at your face.

Even a "cold war" wil sufice.

[Aziel]

War definately.
Humans need stimulation to invent, and nothing gives more stimulation than a gun pointed at your face.

Even a "cold war" wil sufice.

Not 'Even', but mainly a Cold War, because in order to preserve the balance of terror you need to be more and more advanced technologically.

[Valentin the II]

Not 'Even', but mainly a Cold War, because in order to preserve the balance of terror you need to be more and more advanced technologically.

Although a cold war is more beneficiall.
Progres is made mutch faster during actual war.