Futility Of Warfare

Dixya Poudel

As a horrific war wages on the Middle East where Israel and Hamas are enraged in a bitter dispute, ones involving latest tech warfare, the world peace looks wary. Then there is the Russia-Ukraine war and many other minor and major disputes ongoing in various regions of the world. The fact is war rarely leaves behind any good deeds. 

Instead, there are piling bodies among the shards of violent acts that are often mired with feelings of vengeance and retaliation. As nations wage wars for territorial gains or political whims, it is the common citizens who are at the short end of the stick. Young and able citizens are enrolled in military operations in wars while their loved ones can only pray for their lives and safety.

History has shown that war isn’t always the answer to problems. In its place, diplomacy is the right answer, even though it is rarely implemented. Sadly, oftentimes, violence is answered with violence. And when the dictum is an eye for an eye, the whole world goes blind. Looking back at the world history, the decision of the United States to upend Japan’s military might through nuclear warfare resulted in great devastations. 

The consequence was that two major cities of Japan felt the shattering blow of the atomic bombs. It might have helped deescalate the war but at what cost? 

As such, in his Pulitzer Prize winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond writes about how the West came to rule the world through its clout of machinery warfare. 

The growth of United States is largely due to the roots of capitalism that were cemented on the foundation of violent ends to the indigenous Indians when Europeans landed on the American terrains. Likewise, the imperialism of the British Empire and the colonisation of weaker nations were founded upon military strength. 

The West has thus been at the forefront of military might that has secured it a superior place in a world where billions of people are below poverty line. 

However, instead of investing trillions of dollars in constructing military warfare, arms and ammunitions, the funds could be poured in the betterment of the humanity. 

Even a fraction of the costs of military ammunitions can greatly aid in good causes such as elimination of preventable diseases in the poverty ridden underdeveloped nations. 

As such, hunger and famine, lack of clean drinking water, and dearth of educational and employment opportunities are the realities for many poorer countries worldwide. And when the basic necessities aren’t met, there cannot be a chance for prosperity. 

Here, one wonders if the world has got its priorities all wrong. The rich tends to get richer while the poor gets even poorer. The funds that are invested in military warfare such as nuclear power can be used for the good of the world but politicians, lawmakers, and powerful figures have got their priorities in the erroneous order. 

As a result, world peace is at a critical juncture, so are the lives of millions of people. It is evident that war only begets violence. Retaliation, vengeance, and militarism thus shouldn’t be the only answer to any sort of disputes. They come at a heavy cost that only takes year of progress to crumble in an instant.