The Origin of War

We're Americans, so war is like apple pie and baseball. Boys grow up in this country half expecting to wear a soldier's helmet or a sailor's bell-bottoms by age 20. It goes with the territory. Some are excited by the idea, others scared silly. No matter, we're Americans caught up in the hapless habit of war.

For some reason, there's always a bogey man, an enemy, or some anti-democratic strong man out to take away our freedom, but we're willing to die to stop them. We understand, we've learned the lesson well: freedom isn't free. We fight to make the world safe for a concept of government rejected by our Founding Fathers: democracy. But that was then. Now, we fight and die not only to defend our democracy at home but to establish it overseas.

Those threatening bullies in other nations don't even have to speak to alarm us. We can read their minds. Our keen sense of trouble can detect the motives of aggressive types, potential disturbers of the peace. Been there; done that. We'll be over, we're coming over, and we won't come back 'til it's over over there.

Maybe we are as paranoid as the French say we are, but that doesn't mean the enemy isn't lurking in the shadows. Remember how the Japanese sneaked across several thousand miles of open seas to attack our naval base at Pearl Harbori in 1941? Then the 9-11 terrorists penetrated our airport security in 2001. And now a few audacious nations are surreptitiously developing the same kinds of weapons that we possess.

Johnny, get your gun. If you don't volunteer, we'll draft you. We must not let the evil-doers get away with it. If we don't stop them in Zangpek, we'll have to fight them in El Paso. Stop by to visit us on your furloughs. Oh, we realize the duration of this struggle could be long - our wars have been two, four, six, eight, 10 years - and sometimes open-ended. But don't worry, we'll write. We appreciate your sacrifice, going 10,000 miles to keep the enemy away from our shores.

On big days away from home, such as Christmas and the Fourth of July, we might hire a comedian or two to perform on a stage right in your war zone. Entertainers of both sexes will sing and dance for you. You'll want to fight harder and come home sooner.

We're Americans, don't forget. Young people who live in Peru, Sweden, India, Switzerland, Costa Rica, or Nigeria aren't afforded these war adventures. Their governments are different - kind of backward - the way they keep to themselves and are preoccupied by their own business.

Yes, it's the goverments who decide on all of these wars. People don't want to fight. At the Nuremberg trials, Nazi Reich Marshall Hermann Goering said, "Of course the people don't want war. But, after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along in any form of government. The people always do the bidding of the leaders . All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to great danger."

The more pervasive the governments, the more likely they will get their citizens into a fight. If the governments are limited in size and scope, the chances of the people ever fighting each other are remote.

Were it not for strong governments, often acting on behalf of corporate interests, peace would break out. Our world wouldn't be the same.