Time and again, humans in area A have attacked other indistinguishable humans in area B because of the "them and us" mentality.

Maybe it's which end of the boiled egg they open first; maybe it's religion, or money, or both.

So the forces of Freedonia attack - or are attacked by - the forces of Generica.

But these social divisions are largely arbitary.

Many cities manage perfectly well with numbers and letters on their streets instead of names. No one gives a second thought to "41st Street and 5th Avenue" as an address, or "4416 East 155th Terrace".

So the answer to partially reducing irrational emnity is clearly to expand this system, using co-ordinates.

Within countries, states, regions, counties and cities would be phased out and replaced with co-ordinates. Then at a nation level, names again will be replaced by using the international telephone dialling code prefix.

It may not stop you hating the inhabitants of +36-4505-16.2382 with all the spite and venom in your twisted little soul, but at least you'll know where to find them.

NB this will not help with civil wars, because the opponent is as often as not your next-door neighbors, who are very easy to hate because you know them personally.
-- 8th of 7, Sep 17 2014

Name That Country Name_20That_20Country
A far superior solution to the problem provided by a clearly superior intelligence. [DrBob, Sep 17 2014]

Make all the grid references prime numbers.

That way, even if someone does hate the inhabitants of one grid reference enough to kill them, they will have no way to predict how far they'll have to go find the next enemies.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 17 2014


The people who DON'T live in a particular country should vote on its name. It's the only way to be fair. I say that as a patriotic Shitheelian.
-- the porpoise, Sep 17 2014


Pretty sure the street gangs in all of those "grid" cities have already figured out hating someone based on a different number, and I'm betting it would scale up just fine.
-- MechE, Sep 17 2014


Make everyone a point in a series circuit, so if anyone shuts down early, nothing gets done.
-- 4and20, Sep 17 2014



random, halfbakery