Certainly true. However, while Lincoln was undeniably against slavery (though not an abolitionist), he seemed to keep his feelings about slavery out of the war:

>> ^ChaosEngine:


Some things are just worth going to war for.


"I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views."
-Letter to Horace Greeley

>> ^Boise_Lib:

I've often wondered if there are viruses that do similar things to humans.


Not sure about viruses, but Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that might alter human brain chemistry. In its natural life cycle, toxo induces suicidal behavior in rats in order to make it back to its feline host. Humans are not part of the original life cycle but can function as dead-end hosts if they're around infected cats. Obvious symptoms of toxo infection really only show up in babies, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients, but subtle symptoms (i.e. altered brain chemistry) may manifest in any infected person. I can't recall the title offhand, but there is an article out there where the author suggests that the aggressive behavior of the Egyptians and their deification of cats was due to being heavily infected with toxoplasma.

Scientists are still out on the question.

>> ^wraith:
And since there is way more money to be made from giving old white guys a few last boners than saving millions of por people from malaria, we still don't have one effective drug against it. Three cheers for privatizing the medical sector!


We have several effective drugs against malaria: Chloroquine, Artemisinin, and Proguanil, just to name a few. If there were no decent drugs, then most of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America would be uninhabitable.