Values are everything. This society places a tremendous value on money, for example, something that Native Americans in the 1500's placed no value on...and you see the results all around you.

Christians in the 1500's placed a tremendous value on their notions of religious exclusivity and on detecting the influence of Satan on people...and the results of that were pretty obvious...fanaticism and bloodshed on a massive scale.

It was a system of values that made it seem perfectly allright to the Iroquois (and most other Indian tribes) to torture captives hideously before killing them. Even the captives (if they were Native) bought into that value system.

It is a system of values that encourages people to create hydrogen bombs which can incinerate entire cities in a few seconds.

Most of the above are stupid values...in my opinion...but that's because I have acquired a different set of values.

And people think they are so pragmatic and sensible. Ha! Liberals and conservatives are people who have acquired differing sets of values from older people who passed on those values to them when they were young and impressionable.

Ever try to teach an old dog a new trick? It ain't easy. People defend their arbitrarily acquired values with the same ferocity with which they defend their very lives.

The key to a better life is finding a system of values that is inclusive of, and beneficial to all people...and by extension...to all of life.

- LH