After Vietnam I went to college and set my mind on the study of conflict (war)…..after experiencing it first hand I felt I need to take a look at it from all sides.
There are far too many people that view war from a distorted prism…there is nothing romantic or heroic about war…..war is barbaric, chaotic and ugly…..
I fear that policy-makers do not talk enough about the inherent ugliness of war. War is state sanctioned brutality, the outcome of which is death, destruction and suffering in order to achieve a political objective unobtainable through diplomatic means. It is a contest of wills settled through extreme violence where devastation is the rule, not the exception.[2] War is also based on a crude and cruel calculus where success usually relies upon the ability to both inflict and sustain greater casualties than the opposition. Its enduring features are friction, chaos, and chance; all of which lead to uncertainty, and none of which are natural allies of the delivery of precise violence or predictable outcomes, which seem increasingly to be what society, and in turn, policy-makers expect.
Source: War Isn’t Precise or Predictable — It’s Barbaric, Chaotic, and Ugly | RealClearDefense
We are sending more of our troops into a meat grinder and few seem to mind or even care…..has it become so common place that we brush off conflict with a flick to the channel changer?
Reblogged this on cigarman501 and commented:
I would guess those folk who praise war and elevate warriors to god-like status have never actually had to fight in one. I said guess because I’ve never had to fight in one either.
Thanx for the re-blog…I appreciate your help….chuq
No such thing as a neat and tidy war, that’s for sure.
Regards, Pete.
Some try to paint it as such….but at best it is an obscenity….chuq
I certainly hope my posts don’t give the impression of glorifying war, but do hope it glorifies the strength and bravery that such an awful situation can bring out in some people.
I never thought any different…..chuq
Glad to hear that!
We all have our way of dealing with the obscenity of war…it is a complex issue that sometimes defies analysis….chuq
Much like losing a loved-one or a surgeon distancing himself from a patient. The mind’s way of coping.
Have you ever written or otherwise shared your own war experience? Sometimes the first hand accounts tend to provide depth and expanded meaning to the flag draped caskets… and graphic encouragement to avoiding wars in the future… not to mention, maybe some personal therapy. Just speculating.
I have attempt to share here but as usual you get some smart ass that knows everything and spends their time trying to provoke….I share with family members if they care to listen….chuq
Well, you have a point.
I see John has deleted both his blogs again….chuq
He does have his ups and downs.
And then he wonders why he has so little followers…..chuq
I’m sure it’s not because of his warm and compassionate persona. 🙂
He never tried to find his own hook…just regurgitated crap from the alt Right sites….chuq
I agree.
Thanx for the comment….chuq
This is a thought-provoking read. Wars are always too costly for all except the political victors. How can we do more to prevent them?
First I am nor5 sure that we want to prevent them chuq
What are the arguments for them?
Massive profits and since we are a country of greed then it is the prime motivator…..chuq