There is hope for any individual, and the species has an inheritance of violence. The American people spend 10 times as much on weapons and means of mass destruction as the rest of the world combined. The history of mankind is not of kindness, compassion and charity as much as it is slavery, oppression, Inquisitions, wars and cruelty.

And yet there are exceptions, many exceptions, and they are exceptions. The US has 4 million people in the Armed forces and nearly defunct Peace Corps and Americorps. The Air Force is going to spend $300 million each on 1727 fighter planes, and how much on libraries in the next few years?

There is a progression, the Hindu's say the first 20 years of a man's life is spent learning to live, the next 20 is spent making a living and raising a family, the third 20 is spent learning a spiritual way of life and the last 20 teaching it. It is only during the last half of life that we may start to escape the clutches of ego and in the US the culture doesn't promote that.. It can be done, and people can help each other do that, and after a very destructive first half of my life I have dedicated myself to promoting that process in myself and others. Professionally and as an avocation. But not many people get that far. As Jesus said, "Many are called to the Father, but few come."

And I know there is a very dark side to Man, which is ignored at one's peril, which much be acknowledged and integrated so as to be brought under control of the whole, so as to achieve integrity. I know that very well. In a way most people who have never been hurt and hunted can possibly know.

Our roots are those of other animals, fighting to stay alive as individuals and a species, and those qualities are still back there. Witness all the warmongering, the attitude that all inequity is "out there" and none of it in us. Peel away our brains and we wind up with a reptilian stem.

Can some people overcome that? Of course. I would be the last to say they can't. I've seen it. And most people don't even acknowledge it, are perfect except for what the world makes them do. Most people can't do it, as evidenced by their working on others rather than themselves. "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." So say those who know.

As for psychoanalyzing you, I didn't and wouldn't. I merely shone a light on that which you willing revealed. And you're a very nice person, a wonderful counterpoint to someone like me who maybe trusts each person to take care of themselves more than I should, an asset to any group with which you would choose to affiliate.

And in the political arena, if you look closely my abrasiveness is always directed toward protecting the helpless from the savage side of those more powerful.

I'm sorry we couldn't work it through to the center on this one, just wasn't to be. And we were both on the same side. I'm done.