collateral damage and historical memory

[Ken White]

War is a bloody, expensive way to resolve human differences. Even the winners pay a heavy cost. Something that always seems to be forgotten in the run up to a war and never, ever makes it into a Toby Kieth song.

Soldiers don't forget it and the fact that the Politicians do can be laid directly at the feet of the anti-war mentality in the education industry. Presuming, that is that it was in fact forgotten. Often, it is not forgotten, it is accepted as a necessary costs. Cost assessments vary among individuals. I think BMWs are neat and I see a number of them on the road -- but the cost is excessive IMO. OTOH, I'd buy a good pickup that cost more than a Z4. People differ.

The anti war crowd never seems to realize that everyone is not genetically attuned with their view and their excessive prating about the evils of war is largely ignored by those not susceptible to Omygodthisisterriblebleedingheartitis. In fact, such prating with some folks can be downright counterproductive. Sort of like rebelling at one's parental strictures.

War is terrible and immoral, it's IMO the dumbest thing people do for a pastime (and it is that for a good many in the world whether we agree it should be or not) but indications lead me to believe they aren't going away in the next Century or two and the Marines probably have it right; "Nobody wants to fight a war -- but somebody better know how." No war is good, some are regrettably necessary.

I'm not sure why you deemed it necessary to add the Toby Keith bit which merely detracts from your over obvious point -- I'll note that the blood, gore and such do make it into a number of anti-war, protest and so-called folks songs. How much good have they done?

[Sean DeCoursey]

I've really got to agree with Tom Odom here.

CI is a Hobbesian struggle to establish the state as a "good" Leviathan. Part of that is proving you can stop the killing of civilians. Killing civilians yourself is almost never strategically worth it (though sometimes tactically necessary) and does more to advance the goals of the insurgent than it does to advance your own.

[Umar Al-Mokhtār]

never bother to explore military history or the causation of war. It's so much easier and politically expedient to blame the soldier for inveterate warmongering.

The anti war crowd never seems to realize that everyone is not genetically attuned with their view and their excessive prating about the evils of war is largely ignored by those not susceptible to Omygodthisisterriblebleedingheartitis. In fact, such prating with some folks can be downright counterproductive.

"The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." - Douglas MacArthur

[davidbfpo]

I have re-opened this thread as this article reviewing a new film fits here. The film is about Operation Anthropoid, the assassination in Prague, in May 1942, of SS officer Richard Heydrich and asks:

Can a Czech soldier justify assassinating a Nazi leader when he knows that it could lead to thousands of innocent citizens being murdered in revenge? If so, how?

Link:https://theconversation.com/anthropoid-new-blockbuster-interrogates-how-you-justify-collateral-damage-in-war-64926?