Dear World - War

Dear World,

I know it is hard to believe, but I do indeed have friends.

Like me, some of them blog from time to time. Though, after revisiting a blog written by my friend, Andrew (or Snefru7, as his blog name is such), it got me thinking.

In a certain post (which can be seen here, though, like the link above it does contain swear words, so you have been warned), he writes about his thoughts on war, and how the right wing media praises the armed forces that are serving in Afghanistan and other counties that Britain has gotten into war with.

And, for the majority of his blog post, he was right. It makes no sense to invade a country, topple the leader of said country and name this as 'defence'. As he says, Britain was the attacking party in the war. And even if, as the saying goes, "attack is the best form of defence", it is still an attack.

But, as I read through his blog, something hit me harder than anything else. It was the realisation of what war is.

I know, I've re-read that last sentence at least twelve times, and it does sound like a naive comment to… er, comment. But it's true. When I was young, a few years ago now, I thought that nearly every war was acceptable.

If one country was beginning to grow an army to overthrow another for no reason, then I used to think that it was fine to go to war with that country and to mute any threats there. I know, I had worse thoughts when I was young. But please remember, I was in the single digits age-wise.

Though I thought that, I knew death had its place in the art of war. I knew that, in a hypothetical war, hypothetically there will be losses on both sides.

It was when I read that post that I realised that war is not just death, it's murder. I mean, those who walk upon the battlefield aren't there for the want of it. They believe, somehow, that they are protecting Queen and Country (in the case of the British, that is). But in doing so, in signing up to the military, they are in a career that involves murder.

And that is the thing that got to me.

I used to think, like the majority of newspapers, that anyone that went to war was a hero. Everyone who survives the battlefield is worthy of praise. Though, as I grow up to be an unemployed man who will be in debt for the next 25 years (and the rest), I've realised that this is not the case in reality.

I knew, from an early age, that my calling was not with the military. The only way you'll get me in any faction of the military is if it was to design their website or something that doesn't involve me pulling a trigger against another man, no matter what his beliefs are. In saying that, I would probably feel awkward when it comes to speaking good of soldiers that are branded "heroes".

But, that's another thing that hit me. I don't think I could say this in person. Why? I can't be sure of why. Though it might be something with respect. Y'know, just because I don't totally agree with the choices of the 'heroes' might make me a horrible person in some people's eyes.

I know, it's not that healthy to worry over what other people think of you, but I for one cannot help it. That's why I usually keep my opinions to myself. Well, until now. Anyway, back on the subject.

Even though I agree with Snefru7's opinions for the majority of it, I can understand (kind of) the need for military. There is only one reason that there is a need for this sort of job to exist, and that is because we live in a paranoid world.

We all know of the worries about a possible nuclear war that could happen, that contains the amount of firepower that could eventually turn Britain to a fallout-seque manner (unless I've misread the situation with North Korea and Iran).

I'll be honest, World, I won't fully understand the ins and outs of why there are wars. Why can't we all just make tea and not war?

I thank ye, world.