Max Kuroiwa
Mr. Pangier
A1 Literature
April 1
Just War Theory
The concept of war has existed since the beginning of time. Ever since humans were created conflicts have been a part of what defines us. Humans are just like animals and it is in our nature to resort to violence when a conflict appears. For thousands of year civilizations have spilt blood with another for foolish reasons. Whether the war is fought for the Independence of a country or fought for the annihilation of a group of people, the concept of war is all the same. As long as there are humans there will be wars, this is inevitable and that's the way it is. “There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others” (Machiavelli). This statement does not justify war and wars can never be justified. This can be supported with historical events, quotes and examples from the novel All Quiet On The Western Front.
Now some may say that there is always a bad guy and a good guy to any war, usually the bad guy starts the war. I disagree to this because the nature of war is extremely violent and barbaric. For example let's take a look at world war II. Nazi Germany basically declared war on the whole world and they were responsible for various war crimes such a the Holocaust. So some can argue that Germany and the Axis forces were the bad guys and they deserved it. I agree to the part where it was a good thing they lost, however I cannot say that the whole German race deserves to be persecuted for the crimes of a handful of politicians. “While they (the pontificating teachers and politicos) continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying. While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger” (Remarque 49). The average German soldier fights because he is forced to and also to protect his loved ones from the unknown enemy. Any man would do the same, whether a American GI or a Wehrmacht trooper. After all the men on both sides fight for the same reasons and there is no good or bad to it. “We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamented enough in peacetime, would be out of place here” (Remarque 6). You may say that the Germans deserved because they killed innocent civilians such as Jews but that was mainly the SS a small portion of the whole percentage that made up the German military. If that's not enough the execution of surrendered German soldiers were a common thing by the Allies. Also when Berlin was occupied by the Allied forces, civilians were murdered and raped by the hundreds.
“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die” (Herbert Hoover). This quote by Herbert Hoover completely fits into the author's message in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Remarque has taught us readers that wars lead to the destruction of young generations. The reason for this is simple, the young generation were often the ones who were sent to the front. For instance the British army in the years of world war I was made up by 17-38 year old men. Also 250000 soldiers were underage in the British Army so this gives you an idea of how youths were the biggest victims of wars. The great thing about being young is that we have so many opportunities, so many possibilities that we will encounter it the life ahead of us, the world was their oyster full of dreams and hope. “Their stillness is the reason why these memories of former times do not awaken desire so much as the sorrow – a strange, inapprehensible melancholy. Once we had such desires – but they return not. They are past, they belong to another world that is gone from us” (100). But in war all of this is ripped away from the youths.
Every living organisms follow their instincts, the one that dominates them is the fight or flight instinct. Humans have this too, but we take this to another level. By this I mean that the action we make does not always mean that we make it at that exact moment. We have the ability to plan it, think it, and commence it. Wars are usually caused by threats, when a country feels threatened it can either declare war and fight off the threat or retreat from accepting the fact that the other country is superior. The reason why one country threatens another is usually something to do with one's ambition on expanding its territory to become a higher power. This is the case of most wars in the past. Humans are a advanced animal that has the need of having more. We can never be happy with what we have like the rest of the animals in the animals kingdom. This spark of ambition ignites the reasons to go to war. So is it possible to take away something that is programmed into our nature? I think not.
Avoiding war is like dodging rain drops. We cannot avoid it, however there is a possibility of lessening the damage of it by looking at the past. It is now our responsibility to maintain this peace that millions have died for for as long as we can. Wars can never be justified yet it is inevitable. This is the burden that the human race has carry. As long as there are men, there will be wars.
Work cited
Remarque, Erich Maria, and A. W. Wheen. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York : Fawcett Crest, 1987. Print.
"War Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Mr. Pangier
A1 Literature
April 1
Just War Theory
The concept of war has existed since the beginning of time. Ever since humans were created conflicts have been a part of what defines us. Humans are just like animals and it is in our nature to resort to violence when a conflict appears. For thousands of year civilizations have spilt blood with another for foolish reasons. Whether the war is fought for the Independence of a country or fought for the annihilation of a group of people, the concept of war is all the same. As long as there are humans there will be wars, this is inevitable and that's the way it is. “There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others” (Machiavelli). This statement does not justify war and wars can never be justified. This can be supported with historical events, quotes and examples from the novel All Quiet On The Western Front.
Now some may say that there is always a bad guy and a good guy to any war, usually the bad guy starts the war. I disagree to this because the nature of war is extremely violent and barbaric. For example let's take a look at world war II. Nazi Germany basically declared war on the whole world and they were responsible for various war crimes such a the Holocaust. So some can argue that Germany and the Axis forces were the bad guys and they deserved it. I agree to the part where it was a good thing they lost, however I cannot say that the whole German race deserves to be persecuted for the crimes of a handful of politicians. “While they (the pontificating teachers and politicos) continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying. While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger” (Remarque 49). The average German soldier fights because he is forced to and also to protect his loved ones from the unknown enemy. Any man would do the same, whether a American GI or a Wehrmacht trooper. After all the men on both sides fight for the same reasons and there is no good or bad to it. “We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamented enough in peacetime, would be out of place here” (Remarque 6). You may say that the Germans deserved because they killed innocent civilians such as Jews but that was mainly the SS a small portion of the whole percentage that made up the German military. If that's not enough the execution of surrendered German soldiers were a common thing by the Allies. Also when Berlin was occupied by the Allied forces, civilians were murdered and raped by the hundreds.
“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die” (Herbert Hoover). This quote by Herbert Hoover completely fits into the author's message in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Remarque has taught us readers that wars lead to the destruction of young generations. The reason for this is simple, the young generation were often the ones who were sent to the front. For instance the British army in the years of world war I was made up by 17-38 year old men. Also 250000 soldiers were underage in the British Army so this gives you an idea of how youths were the biggest victims of wars. The great thing about being young is that we have so many opportunities, so many possibilities that we will encounter it the life ahead of us, the world was their oyster full of dreams and hope. “Their stillness is the reason why these memories of former times do not awaken desire so much as the sorrow – a strange, inapprehensible melancholy. Once we had such desires – but they return not. They are past, they belong to another world that is gone from us” (100). But in war all of this is ripped away from the youths.
Every living organisms follow their instincts, the one that dominates them is the fight or flight instinct. Humans have this too, but we take this to another level. By this I mean that the action we make does not always mean that we make it at that exact moment. We have the ability to plan it, think it, and commence it. Wars are usually caused by threats, when a country feels threatened it can either declare war and fight off the threat or retreat from accepting the fact that the other country is superior. The reason why one country threatens another is usually something to do with one's ambition on expanding its territory to become a higher power. This is the case of most wars in the past. Humans are a advanced animal that has the need of having more. We can never be happy with what we have like the rest of the animals in the animals kingdom. This spark of ambition ignites the reasons to go to war. So is it possible to take away something that is programmed into our nature? I think not.
Avoiding war is like dodging rain drops. We cannot avoid it, however there is a possibility of lessening the damage of it by looking at the past. It is now our responsibility to maintain this peace that millions have died for for as long as we can. Wars can never be justified yet it is inevitable. This is the burden that the human race has carry. As long as there are men, there will be wars.
Work cited
Remarque, Erich Maria, and A. W. Wheen. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York : Fawcett Crest, 1987. Print.
"War Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.