Why War Is Necessary
For as far back as mankind dates back in it’s existence, there has always been and always will be war. History all throughout the world holds numerous acts of war dating all the way back to the early years of civilization, up until even today’s most recent problems. I believe war is a perfectly necessary action, especially when a hostile force makes unjustifiable attacks that put the safety of our country at jeopardy. This does not mean that every issue’s solution has to be war. Simply, this means you deserve to be able to protect yourself against a bully.
Of course there will always be the thought of being able to live in peace and harmony, but is that a realistic goal? There will always be bad guys with guns who wont take no for an answer. When an aggressor starts a conflict, you can make the choice to either defend what is yours by fighting back or you can surrender to their demands. I have worked hard for the things I have, and if going to war means protecting what is right then by all means, it is justified. America is the land of the free, and home of the brave.
We have come a long ways to become what we are now. Our country provides everyone with freedom and equal opportunities. There is no dictator to force us into living a certain way, the people got to make the choice in who they want to lead us. Freedom is a wonderful thing to have, and there should be no reason why another country should be allowed to get in the way of that. If a hostile country starts to push us around and become a treat to our freedom, we need to push back or else they just might take it from us.
Look back on what happened December 7, 1941, “Sudden and unexpected attacks on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, and other United States possessions in the Pacific early yesterday by the Japanese air force and navy plunged the United States and Japan into active war. ”(ny times article) Japan landed a surprise attack on American soil. If war is an unnecessary action then how are we supposed to know that more attacks, just like the ones that happened at Pearl Harbor, wont continue? If we don’t flex back and show our real strength and muscle of this great country then we are just sitting ducks waiting to be spotted.
Nobody is going to pick on someone that they know can defend and protect themselves. A common point made by those who are against war is that it will make our bad economy even worse. I really don’t see how that could become an issue taking into account that to go to war food, ammunition, weapons, gear, and a whole lot of other stuff is going to be purchased. Obviously the government is going to have to spend money to acquire these things, but in turn wont that give more job opportunities from increased production needs from all the companies that make what our soldiers need?
At first a large portion of money will be used up, but when the companies begin hiring more workers, then those workers will spend there money in other places on other necessities which in the long run starts a cycle of stimulation within our economy. If there is an adequate amount of demand in a company, then there can only be an adequate amount of employees. But if that same company keeps getting more demand of their products, then they will have to hire more people to meet those demands.
Frederic Bastiat, a french economist, was very well known for introduction of this idea through the parable “The Broken Window” which is apart of his essay What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen. A part of the broken window parable includes, “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody some good. Such accidents keep industry going. Everybody has to make a living. What would become of the glaziers if no one ever broke a window? ”(That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen) In this, he illustrates how destruction can have a positive effect on society.
In this essay, he proves a very good point that destruction might not be a good thing for whoever has to pay for the initial damages, but if things were to never get broken or need to be replaced, how would money be made to be spent in other places? Everyone needs to make a living somehow. Whether it happens to be your son accidentally breaking your window with a baseball or even something as bad as a hostile nation delivering a surprise attack which results in war, the unintended consequences that happen everyday are what help to create the opportunities of work that pay for us to survive.
The link between war and technology has always been impeccably close. Neither of them would be successful without the support from the other. That is why if war wasn’t necessary, then a lot of today’s modern technology wouldn’t even be invented yet. The outcome of having technology that is old and outdated, instead of having the latest technological breakthrough in your military’s equipment has a high potential that could very well cost you the war. Over and over again, our history proves that the biggest advances in technological growth have been a result of warfare.
A perfect example of this statement would be how the invention of the tank in the first World War helped Britain achieve victory. In this war, the introduction of the machine gun made it possible to kill large amounts of soldiers at ease which had forced combat on both sides into trench warfare. In order for either side to advance forward, their only choice was to charge straight into rows of machine guns that were just waiting to mow all of them down.
In desperate need of some way to cross through the no mans land between the two sides, attention was brought to the idea of an armored vehicle with all terrain capabilities able to handle driving across the trenches. Armored vehicles had been made before but they were built only to handle normal terrain, so the British created the first armored vehicle that could handle the muddy terrain of the trenches giving them the upper hand later on that lead to their victory in WWI.
This makes it very clear that war does help advance the progression of our technology, because if we didn’t need a way to get through the rough terrain of the trenches, the tank wouldn’t have been able to start off the mechanized warfare era. Frequently it get brought up that it is bad to use our resources to develop and test new technologies. How are we supposed to compete against other countries who are developing their technologies just as fast as us if we don’t spend the money on researching and testing new materials?
If you think about it though, it is worth having to pay a little extra money to keep your country as safe as possible. Change is a good thing that everyone can benefit from. In an interview with author P. W. Singer, he explains how the military’s evolved technologies have changed how war is fought. After being asked how the society of mankind has been help from advancements, he answers, “No technology is “good” or “bad. ” Is your toaster evil? Your computer? A Predator drone? They’re all technologies, and what we’ve seen throughout history is that war jump-starts technological growth.
During wartime we see a massive investment in research and development, and a vast amount of human ingenuity applied to the creation of deadly devices. But the creation of these devices can have a ripple effect throughout society. For example, without the V-2s that devastated European cities we probably wouldn’t have the Saturn V rocket that helped put humans on the moon. ”(Military Analyst Interview) He proves to us just how war has given a “jump-start” in the overall growth. If it weren’t for all the advances in war technologies over the years, a lot of the things we have today probably wouldn’t even exist yet to us.
George Washington once said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. ” Putting an end to war would be a wonderful solution, but in reality, it will never happen. There is no doubt that war is evil, but it is a necessary evil. It is necessary because it defends our freedom. I love my country, I love my family, I love how my life is now and if anyone wants to try and take that away from me or change that, it gives us the right to protect ourselves.
There should be no reason for us to live in fear of some dictator, we have made America what it is today and what we have, many other other countries don’t. When war becomes the necessary solution to a problem, sure there will be some problems that come along with it but there will never be a perfect solution. Even an ugly thing like war can have it’s beauties. It stimulates the countries economy, protects our individual freedom, and can bring with it new technologies that can help make our everyday lives easier.
