The Guard Dogs of Babylon

Lewis Henry lived through the post World War II demise of European imperial adventures. After centuries of conflict, genocide and slavery of indigenous peoples to maximise profits from their colonies, the ruling powers confronted each other in a devastating war. The lessons learned from this disaster led to the adoption of more enlightened philosophies, systems of government and social institutions to avoid further destruction on a global scale. Hence, European societies were transformed into welfare states, former colonies gained their 'independence', and transport and communications were improved worldwide. The technological revolutions of the 21st century are now creating a global village that requires the elimination of oppression based on gender, class, race, caste and ethnicity so that people may live in peace and prosperity.