I do disagree with the completely unsubstantiated statement you made about progress correlating to reduced crime rates. I'll believe it when I see anything credible on the subject. The trend of "progress" has typically meant that we have gotten better and more efficient at killing and torturing our fellow man. The Holocaust was terrible not only because it was mass killing based on ethnic principles but also because it was committed using the latest industrial technology. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima caused less damage than conventional bombing had caused in Dresden, but it was JUST ONE BOMB, which was a terrifying prospect.

So far, the belief that "progress" will make society better has proven itself false with respect to the way we treat each other. Yes, it has made our lives better in other ways - we build better homes with climate control, we get rid of diseases, we eat better, etc. It has NOT improved the way we treat each other.

Your statement about imperialism was just silly.

You said:



But that's not the situation in Martin's world. It is a world where many gods seem to exist and some seem to be actively engaged in the world.