You're right Robert.....maybe we ought to do like the Romans did and have an arena for the spectacle.
They used to slaughter upward of 2,000 people on a day (5,000 being their limit). The crowd carried bottles of perfume and different scents to whiff when the smell of blood and carnage became too much.)

We need oversight and regulation for issues like the weapons dealers profiting from arming both sides to escalate a conflict. They FEED off the deaths of innocents. People that are maimed or die or are displaced in their homelands are the ones who suffer most.
Unfortunately, we will ALWAYS have those who are willing to bear arms and get in the fight. It is human nature. The Mayan priests have not died off, they're just here in another form.....
;~)

You said:"Violence is a part of human nature, and perhaps we should learn to control it as we control other human vices, such as prostitution, intoxication, etc.: Constrain (zone) it, restrict it, lay down some rules."

How does one go about making new international laws, if the broken rules are hidden and subverted by those in authority? Issues become cloudy and can be altered through disinformation (psy-ops) and the dumbing down of major issues through a controlled media.
How important is that this conflict is being funded on both sides by the Pentagon? American trained mercenaries with your tax dollars?
No embargos or rules on small weapons sales into other countries. (Thanks, GW) There are something like 8 million guns in the hands of kids under the age of 18 out there world wide....
(I have this written down somewhere.....sorry if it's inaccurate right now....will go digging for this piece of information).

Truly, it looks as if we must suffer through our woes as we helped to create them. Sooner or later (probably later), we will roll over into the next time line and become a diferent civilization. Enjoy your SUV's, your kids and your 401K......this time around we Americans are spared from any real bloodshed.