This is from my text book: "Every year the world spends about $1.2 trillion on the military, and less than $2 billion on the UN regular budget. The whole budget of UN operations, peacekeeping, programmes, and agencies combined is less than $20 billion, or less than 2 percent of world military spending."
That's what I was thinking. You get results faster, the "easy way" but the easy way is harder on the people as individuals. Even those who "win" still loose something. If there was a better way, no one would have to loose anything, or be effected for that matter. It doesn't entirely "fix" anything. Kind of like the "Calm" in X hahah. It's just like that. Ima dork
You get results faster, more directly, and without compromise (if you win). If you lose, you lose everything. If you don't war, results are harder to achieve, issues will have to be compromised, and you run the risk of a mutually-dissatisfying outcome that doesn't solve anything. That's being realistic about it. But I see war as a bandage, but not the antiseptic which is needed to prevent infection. And then factor in the human cost. What of the people who are just in the way of war? So often we focus on the leaders, but what of the countless others who are personally affected by war? What of the people in Cambodia who still live in fear of unexploded ordinances (UXOs), dropped by US planes as they flew back from Viet Nam and weren't allowed to land back in Thailand with their payloads? War, though tempting, is never justified. People may seem evil, but there are other, more worthwhile and effective strategies.
It's sad to think about it I'm still waiting for someone to tell me, and I don't think I'll get an answer to my question. What is it that you get in war that you couldn't have gotten otherwise? maybe I should see what Sasquatch has to say, since he's been in the war. What do you think he would say? I say:
Go for it. War doesn't solve anything. Even if you guys manage to kill Osama, all it will achieve is another disaffected young radical rising from obscurity and seeing our 'freedom' as his 'oppression'. If, however, the US puts more effort into the underlying causes of extremism (primarily poverty), then it can still hold Osama accountable, and he would be far less likely to inspire someone else to pick up his reins. You know what's really terrible? I'll tell you. It's that the world spends the equivalent of <2% of the global military expenditure on expenditures to the United Nations. What does that tell you? That we're a lot more adept at killing each other than working together. Something needs to change.
Exactly. when my dad was scolding/telling me,( he was in Vietnam War/ air force) about his views of war, he asked me "what else would you do if someone tried to come and change the way you lived, because they disagreed with your life style?" I kind of thought about it like this, "you disagree with me, so you want to fight?" that's what five year olds do. "Hate breeds hate. Love breeds love" haha. I might quote that and put it in my sig later
Ideals are a beautiful thing. The main thing with the Iraq war, however, is that it is illegal. The UN Security Council was split, two (US and Britain) for, and three against. The US and Britain went ahead anyway, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called the war "illegal". It's probably my biggest beef with the US and UK. What if another country came into your country because it just decided it didn't like your leader, overthrew your government, and replaced it with a fragile government? I'm not saying Saddam (and the Taleban for that matter) were obstensibly good, but the US just can't run the show like that, violating international norms left right and centre. Even if the UNSC had supported an invasion, however, I still wouldn't support the war. War only breeds more war. Hell, why are the Israelis and Palestinians fighting? Because one side commits violence, so the other retaliates, then the other retaliates the retaliation, and so on. Hate breeds hate. Love breeds love. F*ck real politik.
peace in the Middle East <3 <3 even though what my dad told me made me think, I still haven't changed my mind. I still think it can be avoided, people just aren't trying hard enough. The "easy" thing to do would be to fight, not compromise, because people don't care to listen, or refuse to all together. I still think it's wrong. I want someone to tell me, what good comes out of war, that you couldn't have gotten without killing people. I look up to people who fight, but at the same time I feel like they shouldn't have to.
"I used to think war was pointless, and could some how be avoided no matter what the circumstance( hippie thoughts) But once my dad explained it to me ( the reasons for the Iraq war) and "why" we fight it kind of enlightened me." Hold on to your ideals. If you think something is wrong, it probably is.
rofl Uh Oh!!
Rule the world huh? *Schemes schemey things*
because no one else is more befitting for that than you and Ragna. You guys should rule the world! haha.
Why am I "most likely to save the world" then?
yaaay^^ Lots of people tell me that. Hmmm. That I seem happy not that I'll save the world lol!
I put you down for "most likely to save the world", because you seem to have no shortage of continual happiness. This the world lacks.
