War

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Storm
People often claim that they are interested in living in peace, but why then do we continue to have so much conflict in areas like the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and other areas? Is there something about human nature which makes conflict inevitable and peace impossible? According to Carl Coon, the answers lie not so much in human biology, but in the development of human culture.

Coon makes the compelling argument that contemporary human actions are heavily influenced by the sorts of human actions which were once successful in humanity' s primitive past. But what is a culture, and why should it be beholden to practices no longer as successful?

As he defines it, a culture is shared beliefs and behaviors that create and foster a sense of shared identity among the members of a particular group, tribe or society. Sometimes these beliefs and behaviors are static and sometimes they are dynamic. They cannot be too static, otherwise the group won' t be able to adapt to changing circumstances. They also cannot be too variable, otherwise they won?t be able to create that shared identity. It is, after all, the fact that people feel like they "belong" and that they are "safe" that is most important.

That is perhaps one of the most important reasons why cultures develop and why they are different. When groups compete, one of the things that helps ensure victory for one or the other is be the strength of internal bonds. Just how loyal are the members and how willing are they to make sacrifices for the group?

It is why people have been so willing to die for their religion or their tribe. Unfortunately, it can also create problems, especially today when cultural groups have become so large and their destructive power so massive. Even though it may have been useful at one time, it is becoming more and more of a problem.

Is it an essential part of our human nature to engage in an "us vs. them" mental attitude rather than cooperate with people who are different? This appears to be the case: it has developed both within cultural groups and between cultures. When we can create a multicultural group, such attitudes can be expended harmlessly in things like sports; but in a monocultural group, these attitudes can lead to hatred and hostility.

What are we to do about it now? Is our future condemned by our past? Not necessarily, the challenge for us today, according to Coon, is to recognize the nature of our cultural conflicts and where their origins really lie. Furthermore, we must use this insight to help in a transition to a better, global society. Our instincts may be to engage in fierce loyalty to one group and hate others, but that is something we need to work to overcome.


Any thoughts on this?

finti
greed, ideology and religion

Tex
yes

SaTsuJiN
couldnt have put it better finti smile

Agent Elrond
Petty regional differences are to blame. that's what I think

ragesRemorse
I thought it was just an argument between pancakes and waffles which started the past five wars in the world. I never thought it could have been pride,greed or religoun. here i am protesting pancakes and waffles all this time, boy is my face red. embarrasment

manchichirtchit
we refuse to share with each other.

this land is my land, this land is my land too, get the f*ck away from it...

in all the world's existence, the world has been at peace for 8% in it's entirety. war is in human's nature. human will fight each other for anything. from religion to ideology to greed and most of all, to power.

ragesRemorse
yeah there have been plaenty of wars over the last waffle too

nemo
thing is most soldiers are none of those. just average joes.
they just fight when they called to fight.

Papaumau
You got it "Man"....

Humans, at this stage in their evolution are driven by all of the lowest instincts and these instincts are magnified by the need or greed for more of this and more of that.

It has never been in the makeup of man to share ANYTHING, far less land, power or religious belief.

Homo-Sapiens may have developed it's brain-power and it's technological ability but underneath all of this learning we are still Neandethals at heart.

finti
soldiers are the tools of those of greed, ideology and religion
And many times soldiers are all of the three mentioned as well

WindDancer
Plain and simple...... Politicians and their followers. They make the people think is for a good cause, and in reality is for their own cause. Is basically the story of humanity.

finti
not always politicians though, religious leaders and fanantical military dictators

botankus
Finti has some good points.

lil bitchiness
finti pretty much said it.

Greed, lust for power, idealism...all reasons for war. Religion too.

Large and powerfull countries, pick on small and defenceless ones, in the conquest of power. Its the idea of ''you'll eaither be like me, or you'll die''

I think everyone should see Rammsteins new video called ''Amerika''. It pretty much explains everything.

manchichirtchit
they are made to be these tools. these soldiers that fight in the battlefeild have nothing to do with the war, except for the fact that they are fighing it. the people who sent them to fight has everything to do with it.

lil bitchiness
War is young men dieing and old men talking. stick out tongue

ragesRemorse
Many time's especially in history you are correct, but today with democracy soldiers are just regular people who for the majority dont want to fight in Wars,but are forced and brainwashed into doing so by the "leaders" If you dont go to war,you are faced with spending 10-20 years in prison, and are disgraced as a citezon of your country. Many people in military are there by choice, but not so much for a choice to embrace the experiences that the military offer, but by eigther a mandatory tour of service, or by situations in life that come up offer no better choice than to go to the military.

manchichirtchit
milla>> is that from braveheart or something? sad but true. our leaders are quick to send our soldiers to war because they won't be the one shooting the guns, securing the perimeter, dropping the bombs and flyig the planes. they will be busy behind cushy desks talking endlessly about diplomacy while young men die.

isn't it funny that the US government will train somebody to be a killer before they sell them some alcohol..?

wait, did i say funny... i meant F*CKED UP.

lil bitchiness
Nah, its what Odysseus said to Achelles in the movie Troy...i dont like that move no but i love that line yes

manchichirtchit
oops messed at least the vowels were correct laughing

finti
in a war there is a defending part too, and that part doesnt have to be brainwashed to do their duty
not all countires have democracy.

I can mention two countries that have based their armies uppon ideology, China and North Korea. You can call it brainwashing all you want but it is still the ideology that drives them to do their task.

And as of a religious nature well a combined international force brought down the Taliban regime in Afghanistan who used the religon as a tool , other countries that would use the religous nature as a means of military action is Iran.

RaventheOnly
that is very wrong..... more around 95%: peace 5%: war 30%: of peace preparing for war.

It only seems like we are at war all the time because war is the only really important event in ancient events that get recorded.

finti
what planet do you live on, there is almost always an ongoing war or conflict somewhere on this globe

supertruper
land...it is about land...

Agent Elrond
more about money. Some historians belive the Trojan war was fought over trade routes, America, Asia and Africa were colonized for thier raw materials and markets and countries fought to gain and defend it.

RaventheOnly
Dude... is there a war going outside your door? no.... there is a lot of conflict but it is a very wrong statement to say generally we are at war more then we are at peace. How many people are studying for armed conflict compared to other pursuits?

It is impossible to fight prolonged in conflict becuase the strain on reasources would destroy us. Rome had a Pax Romania at one time even.... A hundred years peace.

RaventheOnly
money comes from land... materials comes from land.... everything is about land... big grin religion is even about land... holy grounds... Crusade ring a bell ? big grin

manchichirtchit
you're talking about 100 years of peace in the world entire. there is always conflict. maybe not right outside my front door, but someday it just might be. for empires to expand, emperors conquer sh!t. and for them to conquer sh!t, they go to war. china had dynasties, mongolia had dynasties, rome had empires, the greek had empires, sh!t at one point even the french had an empire.

WindDancer
I think that Carl Von Clausewitz says it all in this quote:

"War is an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will."

finti
Dude... is there a war going outside your door? no.... there is a lot of conflict but it is a very wrong statement to say generally we are at war more then we are at peace. QUOTE] not outside my door, but what do you call whats going on in Iraq . There is conflicts in Israel, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Nepal

RaventheOnly
There is a difference between conflict and full scale war. When 60% of a countries reasources are diverted to a war effort and conscripts are being raised and sent with 2 weeks training, that is war.

finti
War is a state of open conflict between two parts or more

BackFire
There's a quote that I like...don't remember where it's from...

"If you want peace, prepare for war"

War is inevitable. No matter how many people are minding their own business, someone's always going to come in and douche it up.

WindDancer
Is from the Simpsons. When Bart cheats on his exams by swaping Martin's test, he gets transfer to some super brainy school for kids. A little girl said it. Aaaah... the good ol' days of the Simpsons.

Phoenix
This is a pensive question, and although it does require an answer, it does not require anyone to jump down my throat! wink :

When has war ever been a solution to anything? When has war ever been a good thing?

Phoenix
And this is a good quote ((no idea where it came from, a year seven used it in their R.E. project I was marking)) :

'Everything happens for a reason. War happens when Man creates that reason.'

finti
so defeating the Nazi regime wasnt a good thing

Lord_Andres
agreed world war 2 NEEDED to be fought

RaventheOnly
To free a people. To become self sufficient. To end tension. To prosper. War makes and breaks peoples. It advances technology due to its pressure. War is wrong but it is truly the factor that makes the world go round.

manchichirtchit
from schindler's list...

"war always brings out the worse in people... never the good..."

lil bitchiness
In order to have peace you have to have war. Its a terrible curse we humans have, to kill each other over material things and ideologies.

Phoenix
But why did it have to be solved by war? When does throwing dead bodies at a problem ever solve it?

Phoenix
still doesn't make it good or right. I'm hearing echoes of '1984' in your reply there...

manchichirtchit
technology that kills people...

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