Is peace possible without war?
Is peace possible without war?
There is an average of twenty ongoing wars in the world at any given time. Some are internal civil wars, others are between nations. Judging by the opinion of modern day citizen , peace is an ideal and war is a tragedy. Depending on their political orientation, war may even be considered inexcusable under any circumstances. But what if rather than being a troublesome force, war is actually the father of peace.
War is an indispensable part of civilization and is found at every chapter of human history. It is the culmination of the basic survival instinct when provoked. To pretend that peace is a more natural state for humanity than war is to exercise a great deal of denial regarding human nature. We are no more creatures of peace, than any member of the animal kingdom. The difference is that we have a greater capacity for choice, to be moral protectors and defenders, rather than predators. But that is a choice that some will make, and others will not. And for as long as men will remain men, there will be men who pray on others, and men who resist their predator side. What we must understand is that democracy creates a forum for making choices. And people are as likely to make violent choices, as non-violent ones. And until that changes, war is not going anywhere. The ancient Roman saying, "If you would have peace, prepare for war", yet applies. The task is to make war meaningful again and the fundamental meaning of war is that it is a tool that protects, defends and enables peace. To enable peace, war must have a definitive purpose and a definitive conclusion.
The moral way of war is to be seen as a protective force for a vigorous and healthy society, to discourage and prevent enemies, to protect, defend and maintain the conditions in which peace is possible. When war ceases to become a useful tool, the survival of the society itself becomes endangered.
There is an average of twenty ongoing wars in the world at any given time. Some are internal civil wars, others are between nations. Judging by the opinion of modern day citizen , peace is an ideal and war is a tragedy. Depending on their political orientation, war may even be considered inexcusable under any circumstances. But what if rather than being a troublesome force, war is actually the father of peace.
War is an indispensable part of civilization and is found at every chapter of human history. It is the culmination of the basic survival instinct when provoked. To pretend that peace is a more natural state for humanity than war is to exercise a great deal of denial regarding human nature. We are no more creatures of peace, than any member of the animal kingdom. The difference is that we have a greater capacity for choice, to be moral protectors and defenders, rather than predators. But that is a choice that some will make, and others will not. And for as long as men will remain men, there will be men who pray on others, and men who resist their predator side. What we must understand is that democracy creates a forum for making choices. And people are as likely to make violent choices, as non-violent ones. And until that changes, war is not going anywhere. The ancient Roman saying, "If you would have peace, prepare for war", yet applies. The task is to make war meaningful again and the fundamental meaning of war is that it is a tool that protects, defends and enables peace. To enable peace, war must have a definitive purpose and a definitive conclusion.
The moral way of war is to be seen as a protective force for a vigorous and healthy society, to discourage and prevent enemies, to protect, defend and maintain the conditions in which peace is possible. When war ceases to become a useful tool, the survival of the society itself becomes endangered.