I've thought about this too. War is so pointless when you think about it. Many people doing the actual fighting (and therefore putting their lives on the line) are told to do so by their leader, who is the one who will ultimately benefit if they win. This may not always be the case, but take a look at the Iraq War...the base of what we're fighting for is not that substantial, and is not worth the 2000+ lives lost.
I wonder why many humans can't learn to negotiate and compromise with each other? They're making the world a crazy place.
I just read this from our history textbook about the Civil War: "On July 4, 1862, after a bloody weeklong battle, Confederate and Union soldiers laid down thier arms to pick berries together. As a Confederate private described it, 'Our boys and the Yanks made a bargain not to fire at each other and went out in the field...and gathered berries together and talked over peacefully and kindly as if they had not been engaged for the last seven days in butchering each other.'"
The message here is very similar to the one found in a previous poem I posted:
------------------------------------------- The Man He Killed - Thomas Hardy
Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place.
I shot him dead because-- Because he was my foe, Just so: my foe of course he was; That's clear enough; although
He thought he'd 'list, perhaps, Off-hand-like--just as I-- Was out of work--had sold his traps-- No other reason why.
Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat, if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown. -----------------------------------------
There is also a passage in All Quiet On The Western Front where the main character kill another man who stumbled into his hole only because if he didn't do it, the man would probably kill him. The main character apologizes to him and feels horrible when he realizes the man had a wife and several children at home. For me, this is the most touching moment in the novel. --------------------------------------------------
I suppose I'm posting all of this because I feel so strongly about war. The fact that the same people who fought each other the previous day could pick berries together in peace is mind-boggling. It must be a bit creepy to think that after the day was over, the very person you were talking to like a friend could kill you, or you kill him. And for what? Just because he is your "foe". And who made him your foe? The people who wanted the whole war, of course! Like I said, war makes no sense.
I wonder why many humans can't learn to negotiate and compromise with each other? They're making the world a crazy place.
I just read this from our history textbook about the Civil War:
"On July 4, 1862, after a bloody weeklong battle, Confederate and Union soldiers laid down thier arms to pick berries together. As a Confederate private described it, 'Our boys and the Yanks made a bargain not to fire at each other and went out in the field...and gathered berries together and talked over peacefully and kindly as if they had not been engaged for the last seven days in butchering each other.'"
The message here is very similar to the one found in a previous poem I posted:
-------------------------------------------
The Man He Killed - Thomas Hardy
Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although
He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand-like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.
Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown.
-----------------------------------------
There is also a passage in All Quiet On The Western Front where the main character kill another man who stumbled into his hole only because if he didn't do it, the man would probably kill him. The main character apologizes to him and feels horrible when he realizes the man had a wife and several children at home. For me, this is the most touching moment in the novel.
--------------------------------------------------
I suppose I'm posting all of this because I feel so strongly about war. The fact that the same people who fought each other the previous day could pick berries together in peace is mind-boggling. It must be a bit creepy to think that after the day was over, the very person you were talking to like a friend could kill you, or you kill him. And for what? Just because he is your "foe". And who made him your foe? The people who wanted the whole war, of course! Like I said, war makes no sense.
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