Kurt Andersen has an interesting article in the Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... on/621355/(a few free articles then it goes behind a paywall)
A few common denominators are:
1. Complex Society.
We view human sacrifice as bunch of Unga Bungas with bones in their noses crawl out of their mud huts and set someone on fire or place them on an alert so some spirit will grant them a few more yams and bananas, but the reality it is happens in complex societies with a population that can absorb the loss of life
2. Class Stratification.
Human sacrifice maintains the class stratification and appears when the stratification is at it's highest level. The victims are mostly from the lower rungs of society and deemed the least important.
3. Most sacrifice is via trickery or is voluntary.
Here we got various media outlets telling people not to get vaxxed and we have people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for "their beliefs". Most who sacrifice themselves think someone else is going to die, not them, but when they do die they accept their fate.
4. Societies that practice human sacrifice do not oppose it.
The Spaniards claimed that they save the Aztecs from Human sacrifice, which they did, but the thing is the Aztecs probably felt it was needed. Imagine if the USA went around with tranq guns filled with vaccines and dosed those unwilling to get vaccinated. Though statistically that action would save lives, those it saved would be really fucking pissed off. (btw I oppose tranq gun vax programs if ever they pop up)
Anyway, worth a read, especially if you are trapped by what is supposed to be quite a blizzard on the east coast this weekend.