I see the pros and cons to each side, and find value within each point. However, looking at the grand scheme of things, I believe war is necessary. Yes, it is violent and gruesome and many innocent lives are lost, but is there a better way? I believe if there was a better way to solve the conflicts many wars are fought over, that this method would be already implemented. The fact is that war works, and has worked for centuries. Take for example arguably the most important war in all of American history. The revolutionary war freed us from Great Britain. Without that very war, we as a nation may still be under British rule and control, and all of history would have been altered. This is not to say that I am a supporter of involvement in specific wars, just a supporter of war in general. I do not believe that each conflict between a nation is means for a war to be fought, but only in the case where peaceful disputes and efforts have failed. My overall view lies similar to Tim O’Brien’s view as he stated in his novel. “It was my view then, and still is, that you don't make war without knowing why. Knowledge of course, is always imperfect, but it seemed to me that when a nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the justice and imperative of its cause. You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you can't make them undead” (O’Brien 38). There is a time and a place for war.
War has been present throughout history and plays a major role in power, politics, and glory.
The conflict of war and its effects have been debated throughout history. Some argue that there are other peaceful alternatives besides war that would lead to a better outcome, but in reality this is not the case. War is a natural part of human interactions, and even though it brings death and destruction, war will not cease to exist. Wars are the human way of getting one group to look superior than the other. The idea of a passive approach is ideal, but it is almost nearly impossible and may not always lead to the same outcome as if a war had taken place.
Dating to the beginning of civilization, war continues to be a repeating occurrence in the world whether it be with oneself, society, or the outside influences in the world. In terms of war between countries, there is the growing controversy over its utilization and purpose when a country is predisposed to a situation foreboding unavoidable conflict. War is the only solution to certain situations but cannot be considered a panacea to all the issues prevalent in the world. The reasoning behind this is that war produces consequences some of which that are permanent. War has always spawn more conflict, gives disfigurement to human bodies, death and occasionally affects the state of one’s mind in areas such as mentality, emotions, rationality
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.
1. What does Arnold mean when he says, “I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats.”?
War, if justified, seems to be inevitable. Those who have experienced any physical conflict know that one of the most significant parts to war is fear. Fear, although it is an unpleasant emotion, can be useful in battle, to keep those fighting on edge and remain vigilant. Elie Wiesel explains just how fearful he was as a young boy during the holocaust by stating, “Fear was greater than hunger” (Wiesel 59). For Wiesel to exaggerate the fact that fear was more prominent than hunger is significant given the fact that they were forced to function on little to no food already. Fear is the most significant emotion felt during any conflict, regardless of the circumstance, and can be proven so in any battle ever fought.
The idea of war has been around for centuries and yet humanity is still doubtful as to what causes us to be so engaged in war. Could it possibly have anything to do with the feelings and emotions that come along when dealing with an actual war? In “The Ecstasy of War”, Barbara Ehreneich argues that war brings such powerful and uplifting feeling that it seems to resemble a religious experience. War exposes a lot about human nature and why despite the destruction caused by war, we still manage to participate. It is important to understand the origins by acknowledging the repetitive and compulsive behavior that arises in human beings at war. By changing the perspective on war, humanity can begin to take the first step to freedom. I will examine
War was once romanticized in the United States of America. In the past, the U.S was more willing to engage in warfare. However, as war has become more violent and devastating, America's outlook on war has shifted. Instead of solving problems, war has divided the nation, devastated the economy, and destroyed innocent lives. Although each war has been unique and had different outcomes, one thing has become more evident: war is destructive. The United States has become more aware of the horrendous affects of warfare and with each war, they have become less willing to engage in warfare.
‘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 was and is a threatening idea in our society. Lives are lost. Families are heartbroken. And people around the world still haven’t grasped the concept that war causes more war. Yet, several wars in our past led to something greater. Three wars that have had a major impact on the way we live are the Civil War, World War 1 and World War 2.
In one way or another, war has been present on earth since the beginning. The ranging intensity of a war could be just an argument within a community, a battle between two countries over a piece of land, or it can be a personal thing, war with one's emotions and own mind. Either way it is an inevitable factor in life. In all of history it has been associated with something negative. It results in widespread death of soldiers, and if not death it is injury and mental hindrances to those who survive. It creates cruel humans, people who are out to kill as many people as possible and creates unstable minds. Prisoners of War camps support cruel punishment to enemies in some cases to a very unnecessary extent. There are groups and associations that claim
War is controversial, unfortunate, and certainly misunderstood; it is a transforming agent, a catalyst for change. Nonetheless, many people focus on war's negative consequences, while positive effects are downplayed. War is a necessary evil in the sense that it stabilizes population, encourages technological advances, and has a very high economic value. Without war, the overpopulation of the human race is inevitable. It is this reason that war is a useful tool by not only Mother Nature, but also humans themselves to institute population control.
War is thought to create peace and to settle disagreements among different countries, but in all honesty, it's doing the exact opposite. After all, isn't it true that one war leads to the next? World War One was undoubtedly the cause of World War Two. Germany was in such a weak position, due to World War One, which allowed Hitler to rise to power and cause the whole world to join in on the war. Furthermore, the results of World War Two, led to the start of the Cold War. This happened because the two countries were no longer on the same page, and both believed