Horrors of War
Horrors of War.
War to me is like a never-ending plague. The reason I say this, is because, I have met lots of people, who went to war for the sake of defending their country. War is devastating to countries and most individuals. Men and women can be left disturbed mentally, physically, and socially for the rest of their lives. But first, let us look at the causes, they are: Culture of violence, Globalization, Use of environmental resources, Colonialism and neo-colonialism, Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender intolerance, Gender injustice, Lack of protection and respect for children & youth, Lack of democracy and just global governance, Belief that violence and warfare are inherent in human nature, Local community violence, and lastly religion. I know that people including the government have their reasons to support the present war in Iraq. Reasons like 1) Saddam Hussein is wicked; 2) he won't be able to put up much resistance; 3) we need a cheap supply of good oil; 4) the economy is stuck; 5) our missile warheads are rusting away; 6) new destruction weapons must be tested; 7) it would be good for Israel; 8) it would be bad for Russia; 9) we like a good intense show; 10) we like to feel civilized; 11) some Muslims don't appreciate all that we do for them; 12) in general, we have very high principles and very low instincts (Alba). But war affects every one of us, either big or small, because, it almost always leads to, and often encourages, torture, rape, and other great human rights abuses that go beyond its stated purposes. It often robs people of what is rightfully theirs by taking or maintaining control of land, resources, possessions, political systems. It creates orphans and bereaved family members. War and preparation for war are said to be "likely" the single largest source of pollution on the planet. Chemical toxins dropped during the USA war against Vietnam, for instance, killed or injured about 400,000 people, and resulted in the following
War to me is like a never-ending plague. The reason I say this, is because, I have met lots of people, who went to war for the sake of defending their country. War is devastating to countries and most individuals. Men and women can be left disturbed mentally, physically, and socially for the rest of their lives. But first, let us look at the causes, they are: Culture of violence, Globalization, Use of environmental resources, Colonialism and neo-colonialism, Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender intolerance, Gender injustice, Lack of protection and respect for children & youth, Lack of democracy and just global governance, Belief that violence and warfare are inherent in human nature, Local community violence, and lastly religion. I know that people including the government have their reasons to support the present war in Iraq. Reasons like 1) Saddam Hussein is wicked; 2) he won't be able to put up much resistance; 3) we need a cheap supply of good oil; 4) the economy is stuck; 5) our missile warheads are rusting away; 6) new destruction weapons must be tested; 7) it would be good for Israel; 8) it would be bad for Russia; 9) we like a good intense show; 10) we like to feel civilized; 11) some Muslims don't appreciate all that we do for them; 12) in general, we have very high principles and very low instincts (Alba). But war affects every one of us, either big or small, because, it almost always leads to, and often encourages, torture, rape, and other great human rights abuses that go beyond its stated purposes. It often robs people of what is rightfully theirs by taking or maintaining control of land, resources, possessions, political systems. It creates orphans and bereaved family members. War and preparation for war are said to be "likely" the single largest source of pollution on the planet. Chemical toxins dropped during the USA war against Vietnam, for instance, killed or injured about 400,000 people, and resulted in the following
Cited: A. Alba, Santiago. “Five Thousand and Twelve Reasons for War.” ZNet- A community of people committed to social change. 05 March, 2003 http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=3185 B. Trumbo, Dalton. “Johnny Got His Gun.” New York, NY, 1939. (114-123). C. Scranton, Deborah, dir. “The War Tapes.” Perf. Zack Bazzi, Mike Moriaty, and Steven Pink. 2006 D. Delferie, Samson. Personal Interview. Jan. 2008 E. Charles Ferguson, dir. “No End in Sight.” Perf. Campbell Scott, Gen. Jay Garner. 2007