I think wKen is a little depressed, but I can't disagree with his current view on life and humanity.
I would possibly change the animal analogy. I'm thinking that we're maybe more Lemming than Buffalo. There is no Men on Horses marshalling us toward our death, no cleverly arranged stones forcing us onto the destructive path. We are not a heard herd of unthinking beasts charging in the same direction simply because everyone else is. No. We're rational, self-aware and possibly even intelligent beings. And yet we all still charge headlong toward our destruction without stopping to think where our path may take us.
Footnote: Of course, these days everyone knows that the myth of Lemming Suicide is False. Although Disney did not create the myth, it did bring it to popular recognition. Lemmings do go through population explosions and migrations which may occasionally lead to large numbers reaching a cliff or river and dieing but it certainly isn't suicide.
*herd
Oops. Typo.
Bugger. I always try to read things through a couple of times to make sure that sort of stuff doesn't happen.
Guess that one escaped my internal proof reader
