# What's the closest we've ever come to world peace? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632 "2013-04-25T00:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/1 "2013-04-25T00:18:00Z")
Or I guess I should say “When did we have the least amount of war going on in the world?” For the sake of this thread we’ll say post Hunter/Gatherer era. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/2 "2013-04-25T00:21:20Z")
Right now. The total number of wars, their size, & intensity level has been decreasing since 1945. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/3 "2013-04-25T00:21:43Z")
The moon ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/4 "2013-04-25T00:22:29Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Or I guess I should say “When did we have the least amount of war going on in the world?” Probably right now. Such is the contention of these [gentlemen](http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143285836/war-and-violence-on-the-decline-in-modern-times) ( Steven Pinker and Joshua Goldstein ) anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/5 "2013-04-25T00:22:31Z")
I daresay it predates mitosis. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/6 "2013-04-25T00:27:35Z")
I would guess on September 10th 2001. Either then or on Election Day in 2000 when Al Gore lost (if you believe Bush planned on invading Iraq all along.) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/7 "2013-04-25T00:38:44Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I would guess on September 10th 2001. Right in the middle of the Second Congo War? No way. See: > **[Second Congo War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War)** > > Mai Mai: 20,000–30,000 militia > RCD-Goma: 40,000MLC: 20,000RCD-ML: 8,000 > Other major events I’m not sure of the answer to the OP question, but today is plausible. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/8 "2013-04-25T00:43:34Z")
How 'bout late August 1945? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/9 "2013-04-25T01:59:24Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > How 'bout late August 1945? For twenty minutes. At the bottom of the Marianas Trench. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/10 "2013-04-25T02:30:25Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Right now. > > The total number of wars, their size, & intensity level has been decreasing since 1945. Yep, except it’s been declining since long before then. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/11 "2013-04-25T02:32:07Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I would guess on September 10th 2001. Either then or on Election Day in 2000 when Al Gore lost (if you believe Bush planned on invading Iraq all along.) The Iraq war was peanuts, as wars go. We all (well, mostly) hate Bush, but no need to make shit up to bolster that. That’s what he did-- make shit up. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/12 "2013-04-25T11:08:56Z")
A blender, and a package of Bird’s-Eye… ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/13 "2013-04-25T13:41:45Z")
Yeah, today is actually a pretty good guess. No major hot wars, and very few regional conflicts. Even the ME is pretty quiet. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/14 "2013-04-25T13:59:51Z")
Today would be my guess as well, at least as a percentage of humans fighting or being affected by fighting to humans not involved in any sort of fighting at all. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/15 "2013-04-25T14:05:46Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Right in the middle of the Second Congo War? No way. See: > > [Second Congo War - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War) > > I’m not sure of the answer to the OP question, but today is plausible. Yes, even now. Africa’s own World War is bad - but in the scope of human history, any random human being’s odds of dying a violent death (not just war, but crime-related) is lower now than at any time in human history. And most likely pre-history, for that matter. Stephen Pinker’s “Better Angels of Our Nature” elaborates upon this at doorstop-length. For all that we still have some frankly horrifying violence, _this_ is a golden age by any reasonable measure. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/16 "2013-04-25T15:28:01Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > A blender, and a package of Bird’s-Eye… \ ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/17 "2013-04-25T16:06:49Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > How 'bout late August 1945? Civil war in Greece and China. Colonial rebellions in the Far East which caused the British several thousand casualties. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/18 "2013-04-27T12:29:08Z")
The first half of 1925 seems a good candidate; it’s after the Russian Civil War & the Georgian uprising had been put down; there was a minor spat between Bulgaria and Greece in October, and the start in July of a Sryian revolt against the French. ---
**Author:** ![donnie\_darko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@donnie\_darko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donnie_darko)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/19 "2013-04-30T21:02:47Z")
I heard the Neolithic was very peaceful, and that people had Mother-oriented religions back then. Not sure how true that is. This era is surprisingly peaceful but of course coming out of WW2 and the Cold War it’s expected that there isn’t any many wars in comparison. Some things are worse now though, like human trafficking and economic inequality in Western countries. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632/20 "2013-04-30T21:11:42Z")
> [@donnie\_darko](#): > > I heard the Neolithic was very peaceful, and that people had Mother-oriented religions back then. Not sure how true that is. “Not true”, would be best. > [@](#): > > Some things are worse now though, like human trafficking and economic inequality in Western countries. Apples & Oranges. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-closest-weve-ever-come-to-world-peace/656632.md?page=2)