Definition Essay: What Does War Means

War has always been an unfortunate part of our society and civilization. War will sadly and undoubtedly be with us as long as we exist. However, the portrayal of war for many centuries gave a sense of patriotism and romanticism. Then the invention of the camera changed how humanity perceived war in the late to mid 19th century. And all of a sudden, images of war became of shear violence and destruction. The violence in these images would play a significant part in the social and political standpoints of war in our nation.

War can be defined as “an active struggle between competing entities. It’s truly hard to tell who is right or wrong during a war. Both sides are fighting for what they believe in and what is true to their heart. In the end there is always two things promised – destruction and death. These two objects can explain the result in every facet of war from the physical to emotional.

“War is hell, but that’s not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” (80)

War has been present throughout history and plays a major role in power, politics, and glory.

Even though soldiers are able to distract themselves from the horrors that they witness on the front, war psychologically damages them and creates the “lost generation”. The young men find it increasingly difficult to think and act with the mindset of a civilian. In war, the men only experience despair, death, and fear, so their mind is enveloped by negative thoughts that

Ever since the days of Mesopotamia from the agricultural revolution, war has been a constant and important part of human life. Over time though, humans have evolved and gotten stronger and smarter which lead to more competition. War from its beginning, has consistently stemmed from the innate sense of evolutionary survival and subsequent competition, thus securing it’s inevitable perpetuation.

A gentleman known as Chris Hedges, wrote: “War is Betrayal.” He explains and portrays logos by using evidence of himself and talking about others because he has had the experience of being involved in a war. War is a conflict between two opposing groups of enemies pitted against one another in a gruesome battle. In reality, it leaves everlasting effects of dismemberment, mental issues and glory promises to the poor and working class which are eventually only forgotten by society. The military guarantees that the poor, working class will become a much better people and feel like they have achieved something inordinate if they go to war and fight for our cherished country. Those that reside in higher classes have never thought about joining the war, they just expect the lower classes to take all responsibility. Those who went to battle, Veterans, suffer immensely when they return because they are burdened physically, emotionally, and mentally as a result of tragic experience they encountered within their time of serving. Also, he uses ethos by using other people’s tragic experiences as well as not using a counterpoint. Hedges elucidates that war is a betrayal towards America because it does not give the people the ability to reside in peace as well as causing those who fought for a prodigious country to live with long-term effects as a result of catastrophic experiences.

War is a horrible thing that comes out of hatred in people’s hearts and produces tragedy around it. War comes and goes but in its path are people who have to suffer through the hardships it brings. Two of the most notable aspects of war is that war is a fight for power and that produces loss of family.

War can be defined as armed conflict between nations or states or even different groups within a nation or state. All these wars, approximately 14,000 in the past 5,000 years, take innocent civilians away from their family, home, what they know for months or even years at a time. Often times the conditions these individuals are living in while at war are far from the normal life they previously lived. Vets often see and have to do certain task that no human being should be required to do. Leaving behind a lot of mental repairing to do once back home. Once a war comes to an end, these civilians are thrown back into a culture they have been away from for months, even years with little to no direction on where to start to build their lives again.

War: a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. War is not just a fight between two organized groups, it is a living hell where people decide if they are going to live or die. The horrors of war are manifested with great detail and imagery in All Quiet on the Western Front, “The Hollow Men”, and In the Field.

War shapes the future by the blood spilt on the battlefield settling the conflicts that caused the rage in the first place. As soldiers die for the ideology of a small group of men, it feeds the fire that creates a horrific picture. Now, I did not have these thoughts as a younger man but rather had a glorious and Hollywood picture instead. Growing up, war was necessary to accomplish the objective moral ideals of goodness. American Senator William E. Borah of Idaho said it best as he voted to declare war on Germany in 1917. “... it commits this Government to a policy of war in defense of American rights, for the protection of American citizens, and for the security of the American Republic.” As a young man, quotes like these made me want to join a war when evil surfaces and pokes its ugly head challenging good. When I turned eighteen I was ready to have an honorable campaign in the infantry. Growing up as a kid, my father always had a book in his hand that had to do with war anything from Civil War to the Vietnam War. I would describe my father as a patriot, serving his country for 8 years. He was deeply passionate and intrigued about past American Wars, which with this very patriotic tone, it had leaked onto his son. I was taught to have great respect and pride for my country and so I had great interest in American wars also. But, I had not been familiar with the First World War and thought it would be a nice opportunity to understand America and her involvement in it.

War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a

‘War’ as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is a state of open and declared, hostile armed conflict between states or nations. Voltaire—the human personification of the Enlightenment period—says the following: “Famine, plague, and war are the three most famous ingredients of this wretched world…All animals are perpetually at war with each other…Air, earth and water are arenas of destruction. Defining war has been a political issue for centuries, and it poses a philosophical problem. Most philosophers will agree on war being a clash of arms, or a state of mutual tension between nations or states, distinguishing it from open rebellions, riots, and personal violence.

War has been a part of history since possibly the beginning of time. As long as there has been violence between two groups, there’s been war. Whether or not people realize it, war changes things around them in their daily lives, weather you are a soldier or civilian there is always change when there is violence and war. For civilians the most noticeable change is the fear civilians get when in war times. When people don’t feel safe it shows in the way they act towards others.

Moreover, the researcher finds that many of the PVs derive from the source domain of war. Hillary’s messages are characterized by many metaphorical expressions that rely on the term of the fight. She presents her as a strong-willed warrior who is ready to combat and break all barriers that hinder the progression of his people. Economy, social rights, defending people’s liberties, opportunities, and many other concerns are all represented her battlefield. Accordingly, strength in her progressive worldview means more nurturance and services for all those in need of support.