Post Info TOPIC: War
mre

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War
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Why are wars fought?  How are they justified?  What outcomes do they bring?  What impacts do they have?  How are they connected to other issues, events and people?  All discussion concerning the relationships, patterns and lessons of war should go here.

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C.Santos

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Wars are fought for power, money, land, resources, defense and freedom in some cases. No war is justified though because no matter what it is you are still killing others for what ever reason whether it is for land or freedom. There is no difference between the American Revolution or World War 2. They may have been fought for different reasons but either way it devastated those affected directly by it and along with it innocent people died. And after wars all it brings is the feeling of guilt and in some cases hatred for the loser toward the opposition and that can just cause more long term problems (World War 2 and the Iraq War). The impact of war though brings the nation together as a whole. In war people have great national pride but it also makes people sometimes think very differently of their country. War is connected to Issues, events and people. Certain things that occur, such as the growth of Communism, can lead a country to war. Events such as Pearl Harbor can lead a nation right into a war even though it doesnt want to. And certain people can lead a nation to war without any consent of the people affected or their own people at all (Adolf Hitler).



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melanie<3

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War is a "prolonged state of violent, large scale conflict involving two or more groups of people." Wars are fought for a various reasons including power, land, strength, money, resources, soveriegnty, or a simple disagreement. When a peaceful resolution can not be achieved, war is often the result. War is often two diffrent leaders that disagree on something or want something the other has, and has other men fight for them. War can sometimes be taken almost personally. International war often starts with an official declaration of war while it is not made in internal wars. They are often justified by pointing fingers saying it was the other person that started it. Some believe they must fight for what they believe in. Others find it as a way of survival. Either way war brings death not only on soldiers but on civilians. The leader who started the war is almost never even touched. Why war is fought and the reasons for each one vary on who is looking at it. The government could have one reason, the military another, and the people supporting it an intirely diffrent reason. It is not 100% factual but it is almost safe to say that the war in Iraq goes under that catagory. The government could still be in there for resource and oil reasons, while the soldiers could want freedom peace and pride for America, and the american people that actualy support it could just want pay back from 9-11. Presidents also make the war personal like Kennedy for example. He did not want to be the first president to surender and lose a war. I'm sure many presidents and leaders have felt the same way. The outcome of war is always death. The things you gain from winning a war dont always balance out with what you lost. All the issues around the world is what leads to war. Not everyone believes in the same things and want the same things for their country. These disagreements cause conflict. It is almost imposible to find patterns of war. Some scientists believe taht war is like car accidents in the way that their are ways in helping to prevent them but you cant always see them coming. Others still say that they are not accidental, but that there is always a conscious leader makeing the decision to start war. In my opinion it takes two to fight and no one is ever totally innocent.

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Brandi

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I think some wars contradict themsleves. I mean, like religious wars?? Some religions teach ideas and beliefs against violence and wars.  You can fight for something you believe in, but how is that really making a good impression on your religion and faith if you are forcing people into what you want.  But I guess if people are fighting for religious freedom that's a different subject.  If someone is fighting for people to be able to believe in whatever they want, then maybe war is justified, but I think that wars contradict themselves sometimes.

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C.Santos

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See Brandi that a very different situation also because there was contradicting feelings in the idea of a Holy War as well. Why would you kill people and innocent people as well to reclaim something for yourself? Is it justified to put wants over belief and does your belief come over the want and need of the people and make any war justified? Many people dont want to fight in a war they dont believe in (Iraq, Vietnam, The Holy War) because they believed it is immoral. War is a way of usign force to get your wants and needs across to another group. In my opinion and the opinion of many, War isnt justified especially if innocent people die from it. I also find it funny that those leading these wars arent actually partaking in it even thoguh they may have started it.

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Julia

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I also agree with Brandi when she says that a lot of wars contradict themselves.  I also believe that some wars are needed to be fought in order to get what is wanted.

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Julia

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I also agree with Brandi when she says that a lot of wars contradict themselves.  I also believe that some wars are needed to be fought in order to get what is wanted.

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mre

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updated - Julia, which are which?

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Alex Z.

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mre wrote:

updated - Julia, which are which?



It seems that the more recent the war, the less worthy the cause. However, I'm not convinced - could wars have always been this unjust, or is the media just a lot more even than we all thought...



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Tanya

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C.Santos wrote:

 In my opinion and the opinion of many, War isnt justified especially if innocent people die from it. I also find it funny that those leading these wars arent actually partaking in it even thoguh they may have started it.


I guess I'm one of the many ;) I agree that no war is justified if innocent people are going to be dying from it.  We always hear people say that the reason we learn history is so it doesn't repeat itself, but look at how many wars have been fought.  And especially now in Iraq, I think it's a shame at how many years we've come since we first colonized America, and we're still fighting wars...I honestly hope for the sake of everyone that wars will one day become a thing in the past.  But then again, that's just what I hope for.



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Kelsey Rae Lewin

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my assignment was on the time period 1940-1950.


1940:
Americans elect President Franklin Roosevelt. Nazis build Auschwitz. Radar and nylon stockings arrive, going hand in hand with the following events of 1941.

1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. U.S enters World War II. In Seattle "sailors on horseback," ex-cow hands, stunt men and blacksmiths, saddle up and ride Washington's shores as armed beach patrols for the Coast Guard.

1942: Battle of Midway turns the Pacific tide. Nazis "clear" Warsaw's Jewish ghetto. U.S. and Canada send Japanese citizens to internment camps. In Seattle, a shortage of wartime steel causes residents to reuse their license plates.

1943: Eisenhower named Supreme Allied Commander. Italians topple Mussolini.

1944: Roosevelt is elected fourth time. Allies invade Normandy. 

 

1945: Roosevelt dies, replaced by Harry Truman. U.S. drops A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II. The United Nations is formed.

1947: The Marshall Plan announced. Washington's Legislature passes the Un-American Activities Bill.

1948: Truman's president.

1949: NATO born. Soviets detonate an atom bomb.


 

Other than these reported facts, the 1940s to 1950s was also the time of the Cold War Era, although it did last for years later. Communision and Hitler were the US's main issue focus at this time and for the following years.

-kels

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mre

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updated

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Butchie

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Most wars are fought for stupid reasons.  Back in the day, wars were fought and either land was won or money.  Now, we fight wars and get nothing except maybe that country stops bothering us.  IT"S STUPID! 

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C.Santos

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^^^ the man above me is a genius. Its exactly how it was back then now wars are as i say "as mindless as a zombie"

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L. Gonzalez

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To me a war is an expression of what a group of people favor or have a strong belief in. Most of the time they are justified...but there are of course those times where it is way out of the question and is basically unnecessary. They are only justified when the outcome would benefit a group of people. Certain impacts that they have is that they can take the lives of many innocent people who don't deserve to die. When a war is not justified, taking those lives is even more of a sad thing. It could mean permanent damage to the families and even some feelings of resentment towards the country as a whole. Depending on how much the war is justified proves how affected people can be from the result.... whatever it may be. I don't think this is at all making any sense!!! Wow.... it really doesn't.... but i know what i mean!!! Well.... i think i do!confused

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mre

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updated

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sarah

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L. Gonzalez wrote:

To me a war is an expression of what a group of people favor or have a strong belief in. Most of the time they are justified...but there are of course those times where it is way out of the question and is basically unnecessary. They are only justified when the outcome would benefit a group of people. Certain impacts that they have is that they can take the lives of many innocent people who don't deserve to die. When a war is not justified, taking those lives is even more of a sad thing. It could mean permanent damage to the families and even some feelings of resentment towards the country as a whole. Depending on how much the war is justified proves how affected people can be from the result.... whatever it may be. I don't think this is at all making any sense!!! Wow.... it really doesn't.... but i know what i mean!!! Well.... i think i do!confused



That made a lot of sense, Leslie.
Really awesome point.

Okay, not American history but lets take for example: The Crusades
A series of religious wars fought to win back the "Holy Land", Jeruselm from Muslim control.
Jeruselm was the city where Jesus was born, and where most of his life story took place. As you can imagine, this is a big deal to the Anglo-Saxon Englishmen who are members of the Catholic religion. It was the idea that it was a holy war that God favored because they were fighting to liberate God's chosen city from the control of Muslims, whom Catholics saw as inferior because it was concidered "pagan".
Now, how can the Catholic church justify taking away a single city that's half a world away from England, and killing so many people?
And it wasn't just one war, there were like...four Crusades I think?
(Dont quote me on that, Im not sure.)
So, let's apply this to recent wars. *cough*Iraq*cough*
we already know that they didn't have anything to do with 9/11.
Afghanistan was the major cluprit. Their leader ADMITTED TO IT. Then, he added on that Saddam Hussen helped, but we had already figured on that one. So, yes. Iraq war was a good idea, at least to clean out Saddam's administration once and for all.
But, now we're completely ignoring Afghanistan, which was our goal in the first place, and trying to win a losing battle in a country that's half a world away, without any clear benefit or goal.

So, now that I've finished rambling.
Basic point: War without a clear goal and without adequate benefits is pointless.



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mre

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updated

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mre

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..

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