War: What is it good for?

[BlueWorrior]

I want to discuss something serious, on the subject of war and what could be seen as a just war.
I am fiercely anti-war and I believe it doesn't solve problems, it only creates more. It also saddens and depresses me to see innocent lives lost in the name of war.
We can talk, use words rather than weapons to solve conflicts. Of course in recent years there has been a threat witch cannot be reasoned with and wants nothing more than the fall of the western world. With such threats, It feels like as if we are forced into a hand of war, if not only out of self-defence. We cannot let such a hateful force overcome us. This I think is as close as it gets to fighting a just war.
But I still find myself feel uneasy... I want nothing more on this earth than peace and love and to see people die and suffer breaks my heart. I know we don't live in a world of rainbows and flowers where all people of all types can live together in harmony, but I still feel that setting aside petty thoughts and working towards a unified earth is a noble goal that we should all work for. We all live and die on this planet, why can't we make our short lives here better for everyone? why must we always be separated by hate and prejudice?
Marvin Gaye once sang "War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate." I firmly believe that from the bottom of my heart. Love is stronger.
of course, this is the perspective of a gay softy who has never seen conflict, let alone be involved in one! I know of a few on here who have done service for their country and I would imagine your perspectives may be different on this.
But whoever you are, Please voice your opinion on this issue. Your input matters to me.

 

[ariamis]

as a non-interventionist, i think war should be a last option. always look for a peaceful outcome rather than a bloody one. i agree with you completely.

 

[froakiethroat]

"Violence breeds violence" is a saying I choose to live by.
Although unavoidable in a lot of cases, war is huge waste of human life.
I can only hope lessons have been learned from the past, especially considering we now have enough collective firepower to destroy Earth.
Always love, never hate (a bit of a utopian thought I know, but I find it a lot more preferable to bloodshed).

 

[Yakamaru]

War is a way of communication between nations. To understand someone better you will need to fight him. Make him angry. That is when their true colours appear.

The causes of wars are as vast as the human mind. Can be anything as petty as political differences to sheer hatred for your neighbor. Sometimes it's a wish for freedom and liberty.

Whatever the cause, the reasoning behind a war, there are times when wars/world wars are unavoidable. Sometimes even necessary to fight for what you believe in.

There are pros and cons for wars, some pros being that technologies advances a lot faster during war, production are vastly increased, and few people are jobless. To name some. Take a look at the German technology level compared to EVERY other country on the planet during the 2nd World War for instance. They were a minimum of 10-15 years ahead of any nation, though personally I'd say a lot more.

Cons are obviously loss of life, destruction of landscape, destruction of homes, economical downturns for the loser countries. To name some.

Though personally I believe war should be the only solution at the last line in the queue of actions to take.

 

[Caecus]

Sometimes war is inevitable, people can not agree with everything with everyone or they can not make compromises. People are what they're, they may gain wrath from insignificant things or they only want to improve their conditions without caring about others. Some people are foolish, that's what human kind is. It probably won't ever change, which is unfortunate.

 

[BlueWorrior]

War is a way of communication between nations. To understand someone better you will need to fight him. Make him angry. That is when their true colours appear.

The causes of wars are as vast as the human mind. Can be anything as petty as political differences to sheer hatred for your neighbor. Sometimes it's a wish for freedom and liberty.

Whatever the cause, the reasoning behind a war, there are times when wars/world wars are unavoidable. Sometimes even necessary to fight for what you believe in.

There are pros and cons for wars, some pros being that technologies advances a lot faster during war, production are vastly increased, and few people are jobless. To name some. Take a look at the German technology level compared to EVERY other country on the planet during the 2nd World War for instance. They were a minimum of 10-15 years ahead of any nation, though personally I'd say a lot more.

Cons are obviously loss of life, destruction of landscape, destruction of homes, economical downturns for the loser countries. To name some.

Though personally I believe war should be the only solution at the last line in the queue of actions to take.

You're right about war being beneficial in some ways, The advancement of technology being the biggest pro. Technology used in wars can be applied for other, more peaceful endeavours in the future.
I understand that when you go to war, you are communicating a strong message to another nation and yes, it is in war you will bring a nation's true nature to bear.
But be it ideology, politics or otherwise, nothing compares to the value of human life. If you are a serviceman/woman, you swear to protect your country no matter the cost. Combatants know the risks involved and are prepared to do what is needed of them.
I however am always disgusted when I hear of people who are not involved in conflict are killed; Innocent civilians who only want to get on with their lives and to survive the terrors of war are caught up in the crossfire. Sometimes as a misunderstanding, sometimes to send an unapologetic message to the opposition. I hate that this is the way people are thought of in conflicts.
Humans are perfectly imperfect. We can show compassion, love and consideration as much as we can show hate, violence and contempt. I believe our goal as humans is to build a world where such terrible things are not needed. That change starts with us and the message we convey to our successive generations. I do not feel hate to any single being on this earth, because to hate is to lose our greatest strength as compassionate creatures. We are capable of so, so much more. We just needn't give in to our horrific actions.
Never give in to hate. Ever.