Defining War, Its Ending And Posibilty To Be Just

War is when one group goes after or against another group (Mead). People who are in organized patterns go to war. War is a game to see who can gain more from whoever is going against who. If one is struggling or see something that they want and will possibly better their land or area, war will become a solution. War is also a way of asserting authority and power. “War gives us purpose, meaning and a reason for living. ” (Hedges)

Is ending war possible? There are two ways to go about it in our current system, is ending war today possible. To agree that war is possible is 50/50. Understanding Gandhi and all of the non violent actions he and his group performed to get their word heard and point across is remarkable. Performing actions like protests, walk outs, silence and many more are wonderful examples of what could end war. If we could get everyone on the same page and get everyone to agree somewhat, war wouldn't even be a thought. For example, the Eskimos mentioned on page 15 of Mead’s reading, are a great look at a peaceful environment and world. Even though the Eskimos do not have a reputation for and not knowing what warfare is, these people still cause trouble and argue (Mead). The only way war will ever be possible to end is by practicing nonviolent movements, love and compassion. Personally, I don't think ending war is possible.

There is too much power, control, and authority in the world we are living in today. There will always be fighting over who gets what, whose land is whose or who is right and who is wrong. “. . . it is certain each new generation will be aggressive and the aggression will find its natural and inevitable expression in race war, class war, nationalistic war…”(Mead). Individuals can not simply proceed with war to gain goods, expand their territory, or achieve authority without becoming violent. Can war be “just”? All wars begin with a decision on both sides who are fighting. But, win or lose, either will gain something rather than settling in peace. Either party will win rights over one another or land. A group/individual can not go to war just to win something through, without in some sort of way, learning and coming up against aggression/anger towards the opponent. People start wars because they think they are going to win. Warfare is caused by critical thinking. War will always be a political topic for conversations.

One cause of war would be over politics and the military viewpoint of things. War was just a rational thought process for criminals or to gain control. The clash of ideas and only being educated in certain areas. The second cause of war would be “international conflict”. International conflict meaning other regions can not get along with other regions and solve their conflicts with one another. There will always be an advantage against the one who doesn’t have enough firearms nor enough to defend themselves. The ones that are less defensive usually are the first ones to back down and “lose”. Disadvantages are when eiter group doesn’t have enough people or the other over populates them and they have to surrender or fight until the last one standing. With technology rising and becoming such a huge hit as it is, this allows for extra resources to be processed to other regions of the world and allows for different trades to come about.

Climate change or shortage of goods could also be another factor or cause of war. I say this because people will fight for what others have if they do not already have it, or just want it in general. Oil and water supply are also a huge factor when it comes to making a “just” war statement/argument. Justifying war is like saying that it is okay to kill. After war, it doesn’t get much better because then the more authoritative party takes on another group and tries to gain more access to things. Killing is never justifiable. But, when it comes down to saving millions of people while having 400 terrorists die and saving a country, it is justifiable in the eyes of the military. Some advantages when it comes to a military point of view would be that we “won”. In conclusion, war can be “just” under different circumstances in the eyes of different viewpoints.