"There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so" That's from Hamlet, so Hannibal Lector stole from the best. Just thought I'd let you know that, Freda.

Being a great cat lover,(actually I worship them, but don't tell anyone) and also a general animal lover, I have always had the most trouble with my human family. I find myself hiding away more and more because I don't know how to handle people emotionally any more. Why this is, is probably down to watching too much telly, reading too many books, and surfing too many political and news websites. The more I hear, the more I fear. (Naa, not really-"Fear is the little death"-Frank Herbert).
If we can't even figure out who's pulling the strings, how in hell do we have the slightest chance of cutting them?

One of you nice people suggested I look at some Native American tribes for alternative social/political dynamics, and I am, thank you. The more I read, the more I know there is to read on the subject of Power and the Individual, vs Power and the Group. I just finished reading one intriguing website- (http://www.artemiscreations.com/scienceofmatriarchy/) which was very thought provoking on how our species may have developed, and just where aggression really began to stick it's nose in. A couple of others, I'll mention here, but only if you're interested...more on the idea of matriarchy, or matrilineage and how it differs, in theory anyway, from patriarchies; (http://www.promatriarchy.net/comparison/war_or_peace/saharasia.html)
(http://www.promatriarchy.net/essentials/matriarchy.html)

We may be operating on instinct, but it appears male and female instincts are different enough to impact mightily on society. This was not a great surprise to me, having read enough and studied enough over the years on different forms of cultural anthropology, but I am still fascinated by alternate possibilities.

Again the questions that persist- we have always seemed to have needed a belief system, something to explain the unexplainable. Most of these systems have a deity or deities who are more powerful than we are. They are really in control, and one way or another, it is our responsibility to follow their rules, and keep them sweet.
"As above so below"? Is our creation of powerful figures who we follow and adore (and sometimes fear) simply a recreation on the earthly plane of the leader/deity?

Okay, my head is exploding. I have a feeling I may have lost most of you guys, now that I'm wanting to go further afield than who did what to whom historically, but I'm hoping there may be some interest to follow in this line...if not, well, it's been swell....ellen