War...War Never Changes

Is there a time for war? This question has posed a rather perplexing and troublesome dilemma to human society for countless generations. However, it has become of national concern only in recent centuries—particularly in the "Westernized" portions of the world since World War II. 

In the past, war was far more common, and necessary, than it is currently, which may serve as an explanation to this recent phenomenon. Wars were fought, as they are still among many underdeveloped countries, for essentials, such as food and water and disputes over other such natural resources. On the contrary, advancements in modern technologies and society as a whole have rendered many common causes of war—famine, drought, conflict over natural resources—ineffective and totally unnecessary among the Western world. In general, Western civilizations are both prosperous and economically stable, as a result of inter nation trade and the global economy, and thus rarely experience deficiencies in subsistence and other necessities. In addition to resources needed for survival, many wars in the past were fought for territorial gain. Now, however, with the "Westernization" of many human societies across the glove, most territories have been expanded to their limits; any more territory could prove difficult to retain and govern efficiently. While such wars have been absent from developed nations for decades, territorial wars are still fought in various underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, was has become of increasing public concern due to the fact that wars are now far more devastating than they have ever been at any point in the past. As a result of technological progress and development in techniques of modern warfare, many government, therefore, strive to avoid war if at all possible since war in today's technologically advanced world could prove especially catastrophic. Finally, because of Western civilizations' emphasis on individualism and similar values in the past two centuries, people in these emerging cultures have become less willing to fight for their country primarily for nationalistic reasons—the Vietnam War is a good example of this. Instead, individualistic ideals have promoted efforts for peace rather than war. 

Yet none of the points that I have made so far answer the question of whether or not there is an appropriate time for war. Throughout this entire post, I have mentioned only my speculations as to why I believe this question has become an issue in many Westernized societies since World War II. To this controversial question, I offer my own opinion: Yes, I do believe that war is justified in certain situations where conflict is necessary to prevent further disagreements and is, in effect, unavoidable. All of the reasons for which many wars in the past were fought, and are still fought today, (including famine, drought, and disputes over natural resources) are justifiable excuses for war. When war is both useless (neither aggressor wins) and pointless (war is avoidable from the beginning), then there is absolutely no reason for any civilization to engage in war, as illustrated by the Cold War. Throughout this uneasy and tumultuous period in human history, both the United States and the Soviet Union reached a critical point where thermonuclear war would result in mutually assured destruction (MAD) for both superpowers. Such a war would thus be absolutely unnecessary since either side would be successful.