How does our concept of war differ from that of the ancient people? War is not a straight-forward symbol instead it has wide meanings and symbolizes vast strategies. War is a symbol or a process of losing cohesion or strength and the battle fought between good and evil. We should be aware of what is disintegrating within our lives to recognize the full symbolism. It is an armed conflict between nations or between opposing factions which are regarded with disgust. An example of this is in the book ‘Three Day Road’ by Joseph Boyden when Xavier states, “A couple of soldiers run up with rifles pointed and stare down at McCaan… I see the spit of fire come out of the barrel and then McCaan lies still” and when Xavier expresses his dislike to Niska, “So many dead man lay buried over there that if the bush grows back the tress will hold skulls in their branches” (Boyden, 316).
A war can have a greatharm to the environment, natural resources and public health. Preparation for war can be extraordinarily harmful to the environment. “The Vietnam War was the very first conflict to highlight the devastating effects of warfare on entire ecosystems” (Britannica School). More significance can be found in the book ‘Three Day Road’ by Joseph Boyden when Xavier relates war with fire, “Fire is sometimes good for the bush, makes it come back fully. But back at Ypres and the Somme, I think the earth is so wrecked with shells and poison gas that nothing good will ever grow again.” A war can have enormous unhygienic effects on the environment and the landscape. Moreover, it demolishes the trees which are the basic habitation for the birds. The scarcity of trees can be found on page 113 of the book ‘Three Day Road’ when Xavier states, “I prefer ...
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...ent art practiced by many Native American cultures. “War is the setting for many Native American stories. Some stories are concerned with the origin of war, such as the Serrano story of Kukitat, who introduces war” (Britannica). How can one distinguish between the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, anarchy, and wars between states? (Liungman, Dictionary of Symbols). War has a more global effect than one-to-one combat and we need to be conscious of the effect our actions will have on others. Definitions are relevant as they provide the rationale for considering a war legitimate and just and contribute to decisions about international interventions, aid, and protocol. This has become particularly important in contemporary international affairs, when the most prevalent conflicts have been nationalist and or ethnic in character and international terrorism has escalated.
Laws exist to protect life and property; however, they are only as effective as the forces that uphold them. War is a void that exists beyond the grasps of any law enforcing agency and It exemplifies humankind's most desperate situation. It is an ethical wilderness exempt from civilized practices. In all respects, war is a primitive extension of man. Caputo describes the ethical wilderness of Vietnam as a place "lacking restraints, sanctioned to kill, confronted by a hostile country and a relentless enemy, we sank into a brutish state." Without boundaries, there is only a biological moral c...
War is the means to many ends. The ends of ruthless dictators, of land disputes, and lives – each play its part in the reasoning for war. War is controllable. It can be avoided; however, once it begins, the bat...
Kagan, Donald. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday, 1995.
McCutcheon, Richard. "Rethinking the War against Iraq." Anthropologica. No. 1 ed. Vol. 48. Ottawa: Canadian Anthropology Society, 2007. 11-49. Print. War and Peace.
Nothing can impact society like war. War can be viewed as noble and just, or cruel and inhuman, as well as everything in between. War affects everyone in society whether they are fighting in a foreign country or waiting at home for a loved one to return. War is an indispensable part of civilization; found at every chapter of human history. It is the culmination of the basic survival instinct when provoked. As has the technique of battle; society's view on war has changed as well. Today the act of war has become almost shameful, whereas in earlier eras war was glorified and heroic. American society's view on war has changed also. Our history, even as a young country has seen a great deal of conflict.
What is war? Is war a place to kill? Or is it a place where something more than just killing happens? War, as defined by the Merriam Webster is “a state or period of usually open and declared fighting between states or nations.” War, can also be viewed with romantic ideals where heroes and legends are born. Even the most intelligent of us hold some rather naïve notions of war. Upon reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, intelligent readers have been divested of any romantic notions regarding war they may have harboured.
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a constant battle between death and love.
Small wars in the post Napoleonic period are important to study because of social relevance relating to international relations on a global scale. Small wars or conflicts have the ability to drain the resources of major powers. Unnecessary loss of life occurs due to these conflicts. Eliot A. Cohen states in Constraints on America’s Conduct of Small Wars, “A small war has the following distinct characteristics: It involves sharp military asymmetry, and insurgents that fights guerrilla war, and an incumbent that used ground forces for counterinsurgency warfare. The incumbent can be an indigenous government that fights on its own or with the external participation, or a foreign power that imposes itself on the population (1984).
The government of the United States and of Oceania use war as a political tool to control the social views of the people, the products and wealth of the country, and the opinions of politicians and government officials. The ways in which war is used as a political tool includes controlling citizens, and products of a country. Both the country in 1984 and the United States use war in similar ways. When comparing the current time with the story of 1984 it is easy to see the similarities in how war is used as a political tool.
This war involves a human side, including the admission of fear and scenes of domestic life, not in a sentimentalized version. This more complete and responsible depiction shows that there's not one single center to the war, just as there's not one single god for the Greeks.
Trapp, James. The art of war: a new translation. New York: Chartwell Books, 2012. Print.
Kagan, Donald. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace. New York: Doubleday, 1995.
War has always been, and will always be, a necessary action perpetrated by man. There are many reasons for war: rage, passion, greed, defense, and religion to name a few. When differences cannot be solved or compromised through mediation with an opposing party, war is the last remaining option. Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun wrote in fourteenth-century Spain, that “War is a universal and inevitable aspect of life, ordained by God to the same extent as the sky and the earth, the heat and the cold. The question of whether to fright is not a significant moral question because fighting is constant; the minor decision not to fight this war will be made only in the context of knowing that another war will present itself soon enough because it is simply always there.” (Peter S. Themes. The Just War)
The etymology of the word “war” can be traced back to the Old High German language word “werra” meaning strife; akin to Old High German “werran” to confuse. These words were used sometime in the 12th century. Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, once defined war as "a contention by force" and the working definition of war for the purpose of this essay will be Cicero's definition.
War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.