Celebrity advice (was: Advice to a Junior in High School?)

[Terry Reedy]

"Peter Hansen" <peter at engcorp.com> wrote in message
news:3F4CD2A2.DE7D05D2 at engcorp.com...
> Terry Reedy wrote:
> >
> > (I think it safe to say that during the 20th century, 99% of the
100s of
> > millions of murders were committed by armed govern-men rather than
by
> > private persons acting alone.)
>
> It may be safe to say it, but is it true, or merely hyperbole?

Perhaps both: revise 100s to 200 million, which is close to what I
meant (200-300 mill).
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm
(thanks all for the link with the list I had in mind)
tabulates +/ 150 million as "maybe ¾ of all deaths by atrocity in the
20th Century".

I am, of course, labelling insufficiently provoked mass-killing,
direct and indirect, by gangs called armies, militias, security
forces, or whatever as murder, regardless of the 'legal' decrees and
excuses made by the directors of such gangs.  (I am also aware that
some would not make such a labelling, and that there are 'degrees' of
provocation, but both topics are beyond the scope of this
explanation.)

> That's a lot of people getting themselves killed, whatever the
cause...

and whatever the even approximately exact number.

Terry J. Reedy