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[Colin C.]

Colin Coleman
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3/21/09

Michael Sherry’s New York Times Review of Ehrenreich’s “Blood Rites“,
titled “Primal Instinct“, has many views similar to my opinions of
Ehrenreich’s work. Ehrenreich believes that war is a deep rooted
human nature started by the intense trauma of being hunted by beasts
for thousands of years as early man, and the transition of prey to
predator is the basis of our war hungry nationalism culture. These
misguided views give no explanation to the other side of violence. For
every bully in middle school there’s a poor kid who just wanted to go
about his day. So who’s to say that there is a aggressive instinct
possessed in us all. But Ehrenreich insists that our predation early
on developed humans into an aggressive mind set towards seeking out
war as part of who we are. Today’s modern wars through American eyes
is primarily to fight injustice through out the world. Mr. Sherry
also is concerned with the idea of “going to war against war” and to
what extent is Ehrenreich referring to. An anti-war movement to
abolish all wars sounds ideal but in an un ideal world someone had to
stand up to Hitler. Though Ehrenreich’s purpose of her book is to
open the readers eyes to the bloody past of our race, Mr. Sherry and
I would agree she has her points, however she wrote this pre 9/11 and
maybe the predator has shifted from animal to terrorist.

We can all agree that nations go to war over differences, Spiritual,
Economical…etc. but I disagree to think that we go to war as a part of
human nature. War is an unwanted side effect of doing what’s
necessary for the greater good. As the greater good maybe be a
different ideal from culture to culture. But the general idea is
always everyone thinks they are right. War is not Instinctual,
defense is. Protect your own survival and some times violence is
necessary. “Instinct’ is as likely to make people flee war as to
embrace it.” I myself was always a run to fight another day kind of
kid and the other day never usually never came. Ehrenreich’s idea is
that are war interested nature comes from a subconscious fear of
predation, but consciously we no longer fear our natural predators we
seem them as pets and wonders to be observed. “ Yet the fear of
predation, Ms. Ehrenreich maintains, shaped the passions early humans
brought to war, and still does today.” from a different perspective
if the predator is the opposing country this could make sense but
Ehrenreich is literally referring to the animals that once hunted us
humans. Through her book she gives many examples of a savage history
of man. Blood sacrifice to deity’s. Rituals to turn a boy into a man.
She refers to this as a example of hope however “ if she is correct
about the passions underlying war, harnessing them to anti-war
movements seems either dangerous or impossible.”

The dream of a war free world can only come true if you get everybody
on board. So good luck with the middle east I’m sure they’ll just
stop fighting. Ehrenreich’s argument that we are who we are today
because of what we’ve been through makes a lot of sense in some
areas. The sacrifice of ones life to save others from a predator.
Goes the same for a solider sacrificing him self to save friends in
war. But maybe it’s less the predators influence on us and more of
this is just who people are.