What are you views on war?

Question

It is just as easy to have a foolish, simplistic faith in the power of force as to have a similar foolish faith in the power of pacifism.
Answering violence with even more violence does offer a powerful emotional gratification. After the outrage of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans sought — and for a short time got — emotional gratification out of invading Iraq. But we've also paid a heavy price for that.Israel offers another case study. Using airpower and excessive force to crush Hezbollah may feel good, but as a strategy that approach violates every tenet of counterinsurgency warfare. For every 10 guerrillas you kill that way, you risk creating 100, and in the long term the mathematics of that will ruin you.Israel ought to understand that by now. A generation ago, it invaded Lebanon, all but leveling Beirut in the process, trying to teach its enemies a lesson. In the process it ended up radicalizing the Shiites of southern Lebanon and creating Hezbollah, the very group now firing at them.

Answer 1

War is hell, but it is as inevitable as rain.

Answer 2

everybody wants to take a side in the conflict over there in the middle east these days. it's either Israels fault for being a bunch of fascist nazis or it's hezbollah's fault for being a bunch of terrorists. what I do not hear many people owning up to is that the horror happening over there right now is OUR fault. the Europeans (Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, Scandanavia, to name a few of the worst culprits) were the ones who ran the jews out of Europe and created the need for them to steal somebody elses land. and the USA and Canada, places which had lots of space and could have taken those people in, did not accept them. the USA and Brittain armed the jews and sicked them on Palestine because they were a bunch of bigoted imperialists who hated the jews and didn't even recognize the Palestinians as occupying space. so they exported the "problem" and thought they'd let them slug it out in a far away land. my view on the situation is this; nobody is going to be able to solve the problem until either a successful genocide has been waged against either the Palestinians or the jews, or until Europe and North America accept that it's our fault, we have the means to help any of those people get back on their feet, and we can do something about it which will enrich our lives and theirs. all this standing around and hoping the problem will be gone when the dust clears is not going to help anyone. in fact, it is going to come back and bite us HARD on our collective gluteus maximus. but the sad thing is that even if some terrorist cell manages to detonate a nuclear ordnance in D.C. most of the population will still refuse to understand the nature of their own responsibility in this conflict. We can't pretend we are on the sidelines of a tennis match forever, nor can we pretend that waging war in other countries is tantamount to peacemaking. we've got to take our share of responsibility in this and start doing some healing or there will be terrible consequences sooner than you think.

Answer 3

A few points: fighting a war for peace is tantamount to f--king for virginity.

A superpower - and we were the only one at the beginning of this "war" - strikes a tiny country with no navy, no real army, no air force, and nothing to defend herself except religious fanatics and rebels.

We are nothing but bullies. We would take over the planet, except for the fact that the oil millionaires in this administration will only attack those countries that are unlikely to be able to defend themselves properly, and those without oil reserves.

And finally, for all you Bible thumpers out there: from Matthew 5, verse 9: BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY WILL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

Hmmmmm.

Wonder what that means?

And wonder why they called Christ the "Prince of Peace?"

Hmmmmm?

Answer 4

War has been around since Cave man days. If it wasn't fighting for a woman it was fighting over food, or anything of value that someone else wanted from you...so they kill you and take it.
The years progressed and Man got more knowledge about War and decided to take on an entire Continent, by mass invasions. Ever hear of the war of the roses or the Trojan War......War has been around and will never leave. Even our children War over Toys and belongings.....GREED will shatter America and her Dreams!

Answer 5

Israel is a cancerous tum-er That t is sixty years old know that was implanted by the Zionist group of racist Jews, they were at first ordered by some Jews supported by British and USA , European to get rid of them that not spread their cancer to their so called countries. no wonder you see all above countries been supporting Israel by money politically and Israel is running by Americans European money. poor tax payers they do not know how much of the ire share of taxes are pounding bombs on the civilian kids children's in Palestine and Lebanon. don't you think it is the time to get rid of the cancerous toumer and do the surgery. the world w/ no Israel that do not comply w/ any resolution and do not give the dams to the inter nation arena must not exist. who the f....u..ck are they to control our government such as bush and the ... rest how much do we have to pay for the unrighteous Israel and the media tell it to us vise versa

Answer 6

Hate it, like it.... fact is, it turns young men into old men. It makes you see things that most men have never seen before you are 25. War wakes you up, whether you are for it or against it, it makes you grow up.

War sucks cause your friends die, you can die and so many left at home are left wondering what you are doing, where you are, and hoping to never see your name as one of those killed by an IED. War sucks, it shouldnt happen. But it is inevitable. Even the war to end all wars, WWI didnt end all wars.

Answer 7

Pacifism is not some kind of hippie "let's sing Kumbya" idea. Gandhi used it to free India from the most powerful empire from the age of colonialism. War is a failure of men and of civilization. In more frank terms it's one leader's way of saying my dick is bigger than yours (let's give the ladies a chance to lead) with millions and millions of lives lost for arrogance. Violence begets violence and it's a never-ending circle of retaliation. It destabilizing regions and leads to later conflicts. Look at Saddam and Osama who used to be our allies - what allies do we have today that we'll be fighting in 30 years? True defensive war (where someone is attacking you in your homes) may be the only justifiable war. If you think of most U.S. wars that sure as hell as not been us.

Answer 8

War is ugly business at best. The world cannot tolerate terrorism, if we do we only invite more attacks. Because to them, if Israel and the world do not respond then we are all considered week and vulnerable targets at best. I have fought IN Somalia, Nicaragua,Afghanistan, and Iraq. I wish that i had not gone to any of those places. What good did it really do? But, (if nothing) what do we do. it's sad,Talking does not work anywhere.
I now think that mankind is doomed to destroy itself.

Answer 9

My husband is in the Army serving his 7th year of service and He did his year duty in Iraq last year he is going again to Iraq in Sept and my husband loves his job he knew what he was getting himself into he comes from a Military family and I support my hubby 100% He is a Medic and he is saving people out in Iraq hey somebody gots to get the job done.

So thank they troops for getting the Job done.

Answer 10

War is peace. Think about it; it makes a lot of sense. It's the way our President thinks and because he represents America, it is the way America is perceived as thinking. It's not important if you or I like it that way; it's the way it is. If you haven't already, I recommend you read "1984," it's a good book that I believe will interest you, judging by the essay you wrote as your question.

Answer 11

I have to agree with Jeff the Drunk. Do you actually think that any of us involved in fighting it actually enjoy it? I do it because it's what the Navy pays me to do....not because I get off on it.For those who blindly spout that we should be fighting, how come the rest of us that ARE ACTUALLY IN THE MILITARY don't see you running to your local recruiter to join us? Anyone who's actually had to fight will tell you that it something they ever want to see again. My brother is with Marine RECON and will never be the same again. I guess that's what happens when you watch a snipers round explode your buddies head who's standing 2 feet from you.