The dangerous macho posturing between the USA and Russia brings New Guinea to mind. Until the middle of the 20th century, remote tribes in the jungles of New Guinea were still largely untouched by civilization and living as they always had. That is, they were engaging in tribal warfare, stealing each other’s womenfolk, and having each other for dinner—not having each other over for dinner, but having each other as the main course. Anthropologists couldn’t understand the enmity between the tribes, since they didn’t need to attack each other to obtain enough food, shelter, or other resources....
![The USA and Russia: A New Guinea State of Mind](https://sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/offload-wp-files/2018/04/Yellow_Tribe_Dancers.jpg)