The world powers don't need to be at total war for my statement to be true. Myself I was involved in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, with some estimates putting the civilian death toll upwards of half a million humans. We haven't declared war against Syria, Libya... we don't declare war when we send in intelligence forces to depose or destabilize countries that don't align with our agenda. Maybe technology has obviated the need for direct "total" war, instead casting it into the cyber/drone/political war arena. Make no mistake, there is an active cyber war underway.

Again, my intention isn't to sound negative and I upvoted your piece because it was well presented and made me feel somewhat positive. Technology and medical advances have surely made life better than it was 500 years ago, but the violent undercurrents of humanity have kept us at each others throats at a steady pace.