Is it really true that violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor?

Question

One girl told him bluntly: “My mother says violence never solves anything.”

“So?” Mr. Dubois looked at her bleakly. “I’m sure the city fathers of Carthage would be glad to know that. Why doesn’t your mother tell them so? Or why don’t you?”

They had tangled before – since you couldn’t flunk the course, it wasn’t necessary to keep Mr. Dubois buttered up. She said shrilly, “You’re making fun of me! Everybody knows that Carthage was destroyed!”

“You seem to be unaware of it,” he said grimly. “Since you do know it, wouldn’t you say that violence had settled their destinies rather thoroughly? However, I was not making fun of you personally; I was heaping scorn on an inexcusably silly idea – a practice I shall always follow. Anybody who clings to the historically untrue – and thoroughly immoral – doctrine that ‘violence never solves anything’ I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and their freedom.”

Quoted from the excellent book, Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.

What do you think? Is violence God's primary tool for problem resolution?

Answer 1

Kicking a.s.s is the primary method of conflick resolution chosen by mankind.

An armed society is a polite society.

"Jubel Hershaw" you Heinlein fan you. :)

Answer 2

Nothing says diplomacy like ruthlessly kicking butt until everyone is too scared to disagree with you. But yes, violence has settled, not solved, more issues in history than anything else. The idea behind diplomacy is that the human race should be mature enough to realize that you don't need blunt force to get your way. This idea is wrong, the human race is -not- that mature and anyone else that claims otherwise is a lying sack of cow manure.

Answer 3

Yes violence and force do settle things.They always have.
I met some of my best friends through knock down drag-outs.Some times there just is no better way to find out what you can and can't get away with or put up with.

Answer 4

Peace is a short-lived condition, and brute force and takeover are temporary measures to gain control, not settlement; alas, it is a cycle evermoving and never a final victory. For behind that short victory is always another force jealous for your power. Check out the last 2000 years of history, you'll see. Look at the timelines. And thanks for asking this important question.

Answer 5

it most definitely does solve things..but not always with the outcome that makes everyone happy... storms are violent and they rarely give an outcome that is a happy ending.. and as for physical violence well then it is the victor that is happy with the ending and the defeated is unhappy well and truly

Answer 6

There can be no peace without war.

Answer 7

As long as we fear death, violence will continue.