The Positive Results of War

I was trapped in a valley with one entrance and exit. Constant explosions from rockets and mortars worked at intervals like seconds on a clock. It was our tempo, our metronome for counter violence. This was a good day. We came back to base after our encounter, whole bodied and adrenaline fueled, preparing for the next visit from the horrors of war. This was our world and we had only been there for a few months. The indigenous forces had been there for years, frozen in a state of chaos. War was in their blood and culture. Many years of foreign invasion and inter-tribal war had turned violence into the norm of Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a prime example of the negative aspects of war. A fundamentalist background and nomadic tribe system has left the country without stability for decades, and fighting is the only constant that the Afghani people truly know. It’s very easy to dismiss the prospect of war when given examples such as Afghanistan. But, as much of a failed venture that the War in Afghanistan has become, war still has an important role in society. Many individuals and societies see war as a last viable option, and I tend to agree, but war is still an option worth considering because of the positive outcomes it can have, for example: economic and technological growth, equality for oppressed individuals, and checks and balances of world powers. When all diplomatic opportunities have ceased, sometimes the only way to stop an evil regime is to use force.

World War I, often to referred to as “The Great War,” was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, resulting in over 9 million deaths and countless amounts of damage done in many European countries. The physical and environmental effects of this war are beyo...

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