According to this piece, it can be done.

I think he's right.

In The Blank Slate, Pinker points out the flaws in our societal thinking about violence--that it is unnatural, that it is irrational.

Of course, it's entirely natural--it was the way of our ancestors (and remains the way of our closest cousins, the non-Bonobo chimps), and only relatively recently have we come up with institutionalized means of using other of our human traits to suppress it.

It's also often quite rational, and in the case of the terrorists of the Middle East, it was quite successful for them, right up until September 12th, when they miscalculated. It continues to be successful in Israel, because we continue to reward it with "peace processes" and "roadmaps" and promises of homelands.

Until the carrot/stick incentive/punishment structure is changed, it will continue.

"Demystifying" is all well and good, but I'd like to see some more concrete recommendations. Like "for each suicide bomber who detonates himself, one Palestinian town will receive the Hama treatment".

"Demystifying" is all well and good, but I'd like to see some more concrete recommendations. Like "for each suicide bomber who detonates himself, one Palestinian town will receive the Hama treatment".

Yes, it's amazing how we survived a million years of hunter-gatherer existence since we we're all out to kill and maim each other. Thank God civilization came along to save the day. Or maybe not. :(