Red, what fucking part of that statement seemed like nihilism to you? The important part in that is that we are alive now, I said in there that I encourage people to have their own causes, but you by yourself are not likely to make a large difference. Possibly you could end up a leader, catalyzing thousands of people, but it isn't likely. Only thing that everyone can do that is guaranteed to have big ripples is kill either a large amount of people or kill someone important, and I don't suggest doing that. Besides, the hundred years part was just how the quote was said, a higher number could easily be used instead.
I am not saying that you are wrong in having a cause, I am saying that the odds of any given cause succeeding aren't all that good. How many separate causes do you think have had the cause, throughout history, of stopping war? It hasn't worked. Again, have your cause, everyone should have something they hold important, but this isn't a story, you do not win because your cause is just.
And aPoW, Terry Pratchett writes books that are fantasy, he doesn't try to be realistic.
jhocking, robot sentries would not be as much of a problem as mines, unless they had really good batteries. Batteries run down faster than mines cease to work.