WAR: Nature’s Bottom Line

W A R

Nature’s Bottom Line
a FutureViews™ Exercise

War is Nature’s bottom line. When a social system refuses to change and becomes self-referencing, encumbered and static, war has been the traditional solution be this by internal strife, an act of aggression to mask failures at home or a stronger neighbor taking advantage of the situation. Societies renew or become victim to violent circumstances. In the 20th Century, Humanity engaged in numerous wars and conflicts and came out of the experience more diverse, freer and far wealthier than at the beginning of the Century. The question we have to ask ourselves is if this way of resolving conflict and removing obstacles to progress, - which is unquestioningly immoral - is any longer even survivable. I think it is not. War is a major bad habit which we humans have to break if we are to create the freedom necessary for us to reach our full potential. War has become an entrenched MEME. It has become so entangled with the economy it is becoming increasingly difficult to extract it. It is rarely, any more, questioned on moral grounds. War - or the threat of it - is becoming the default mode for settling conflicts between nations and interest groups and for seeking economic advantage. The face of war is changing and the consequences are becoming far worse. We use to think of war as opposing armies engaged in a set piece exercise. Today, this is rarely the case. It can almost be said that when this scale of war does happen things have gotten out of hand. Global war is continuous, ubiquitous and conducted with little ethics or mercy. It is so universal that it has become a normal state of our human society. It is not only between nations it is inside nations and is waged between groups who have little or no traditional authority to do so. War, by my definition, is sustained organized violence by a political entity aimed at achieving specific political economic objectives. War is the systematic application of force the intent of which is to make people do things they otherwise would not do. It is increasingly ,along with applied economic pressure, in instrument of genocide. Those who practice modern warfare employ all forms - often covert - of violence, physical, economic, cultural-propagandistic to accomplish their aims. In every case which I have observed, it is language which become twisted and violent first. War is proceeded by the collapse of the House of Intellect and this is the condition of the American society today and a good portion of the rest of the world. We live in a time, however, if we let slip the dogs of war we may unleash far more than we can control. The paradox is this: no matter the challenges we face, we have the means to prosper and support a wide variety of human cultures. There is not need for war, no justification - if there ever was - war is the least effective way of resolving conflict and it produces the greatest unintended consequences of all the options we have. Why do we persist? I have never understood war. Even though I grew up in a military family [link: 1947], it has never made sense to me. Given our capabilities today the continuing practice of war boarders on collective insanity. It makes me wonder about the nature of the human race and our ability to survive another century.

FutureViews™ Exercise - Links