I was thinking about this last night and thought it was a valid question to ask and would be interested in people's opinions.
My initial feelings are yes. I say this even after considering the sheer
horror of
war. Watching
friends die, Insane acts of brutality and unrestricted depravity must be the worst experience anyone can experience. A complete pillaging of the soul.
So how can I say all of that and say that war still has something that redeems it? I think partly
because of these horrors. It is because war is so
terrible, so efficient at tearing down the thin veneer of
civilization that gives it one of its few redeeming features. It is at this point when others are succumbing to
madness that some, in fact many, find in them a core of
humanity. They have been striped to the bone of all that they thought they were and when they are there they find something that is still
human and still
good.
Bravery,
Dignity in the face of
Indignity,
Camaraderie,
Honor,
Sacrifice.
And it is in these incidents of
battlefield greatness that we who have not gone thru such horrors we are reminded to value
life and
honor it. We are taught
humilityfor the
sacrifices of our Brothers and Sisters and our Mothers and Fathers.
I have an interest in Military
history and every now and again I read or hear a story that makes me
weep. And then I know why war sometimes happens and why we must always try to insure that it never does. For me the story of
Chunuk Bair is of particular significance because I feel that it was the defining moment in
New Zealand's Nationhood. Perhaps you know of others, I'd like to hear them.
Is any of what I have said mean war is
justified? I think not. But I think sometimes we forget the lessons of war and that is when war becomes inevitable. But maybe that is the purpose of war: to
remind us of what awaits us if we
forget to be human. Maybe you
disagree with me but I would like to hear that too.
Reply to Generosity
Heh actually in
New Zealand we have one of the lowest rates of
violent crime in the developed world. But I think you are on to something we have one of the most
brutal games ever -
Rugby - as our national sport.