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Sand
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29 Sep 2008, 7:31 am

There is no doubt that modern communication has brought some of the horror of war before the world in a way to perhaps demonstrate how awful it is. But still that does not seem to deter nations from indulging in it for very doubtful ends. To a great extent the ease with which a bullet or a bomb can destroy people has made war somehow more acceptable. A finger twitch can very easily destroy what it has taken a score of years to create in a viable intelligent human being. What is required is some way to reinforce the horror of killing someone to perhaps make it not quite so acceptable.
A secondary use of firearms in hunting is also looked at with a certain displeasure if it is merely used to blast beautiful animals into nothingness for mere sadistic pleasure. This displeasure is mitigated to a degree if the hunter eats what he or she kills.
Perhaps this secondary acceptance can be transferred to war to increase its horror to a degree that it will no longer be considered an easy solution to a problem.
If an international agreement were made that any people killed in combat, even if the deaths were proclaimed as accidental, would only be acceptable if the killers were forced to eat their victims. At least a portion of soldiers would be dissuaded from killing people, even those declared as enemies, if they were forced to eat them.
Of course, there is no doubt that another group, hopefully not too large, would not only enjoy killing people but also delight in eating them. Whole industries could be created in new ways to prepare and consume people and creative chefs would have a great time inventing new dishes. I have heard that Muslims and Jews refuse to eat pigs but I have never heard of any prohibitions about eating people so that should not be a problem.
It would no doubt solve some of the logistic problems in feeding large military forces and, at least to a degree, relieve the huge overpopulation of the globe by humans which is so threatening to all life on the planet.



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29 Sep 2008, 8:06 am

I believe that the solution to most of our worlds plights is the alotment of resources. We could also word this digression as "Making peace more acceptable." Spirituality, Meditation, and self reflection can also assist us in the furtherance of these pursuits. I have personally found that the science of memetics can be highly effective. Though, as with many utilities, this art can also be used for nefarious purposes. Though when used in the negative, it is likely to be self destructive.



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29 Sep 2008, 8:30 am

Sand wrote:
There is no doubt that modern communication has brought some of the horror of war before the world in a way to perhaps demonstrate how awful it is.


On the contrary, it's desensitized us all. War is a spectator sport now.


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Sand
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29 Sep 2008, 8:39 am

The allotment of resources, of course, is well underway in the USA where those better connected and clever at leveraging their contacts are making millions and billions of dollars annually whereas those gullible people convinced of the equality of opportunity and the sensible actions of market forces are losing jobs and incomes and housing at a huge rate and also paying huge income taxes whereas those very well off pay only a minuscule percentage of their income into taxes. In the long run, of course, the only recourse of the sick and hungry masses will be to retreat into meditation and spirituality or revolution. But it is obvious that revolt will be impossible because the whole communication system is totally infiltrated with spy mechanisms where the federal and local police now have permission to listen to all conversations and can quickly subdue any reactions to the spreading misery of the general population. Unfortunately it is obvious that in the very near future the dollar will become so worthless that it will be much cheaper to burn them to keep warm in the winter than to purchase oil for heating. The wealthy will, of course, retreat to well fortified enclaves and, as indicated, the poor and starving and sick will find whatever happiness they can manage in meditation, spirituality and self reflection (if they can afford a decent mirror).



Sand
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29 Sep 2008, 8:55 am

Everchanging wrote:
Sand wrote:
There is no doubt that modern communication has brought some of the horror of war before the world in a way to perhaps demonstrate how awful it is.


On the contrary, it's desensitized us all. War is a spectator sport now.


Of course there are some people who enjoy brutality as witnessed by the many computer games that are flooded by sadistic cruelty but there may be a few people who still have a modicum of decent instincts to dislike butchery. For those who really enjoy murder and rape and all those other skillful human activities popular in the media the whole business is too suppressed in modern society to really develop many potential skills in the area. The police have always been frustrated by limiting their brutality capabilities and the modern arms industries also are surely eager to promote more vicious weapons at a reasonable price. The federal legislature and many local ones are well paid by the gun producers to promote gun and other weapon ownership and the coming miseries, whatever the police control, are sure to encourage violent reaction to the rapidly sinking economic situation of the average citizen. Skills developed in computer games are sure to be used in reality encounters so there is no need for virtual combat when the real thing becomes so easily available.



chever
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29 Sep 2008, 9:51 am

Sand wrote:
Skills developed in computer games are sure to be used in reality encounters so there is no need for virtual combat when the real thing becomes so easily available.


Truth.

Image


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oscuria
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29 Sep 2008, 11:06 pm

Why would anyone want to make war unacceptable? Pshh...gay.


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DentArthurDent
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30 Sep 2008, 2:48 am

oscuria wrote:
Pshh...gay.


I hope that you don't get pissed if people start stupidly saying 'thats aspergers'


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DentArthurDent
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30 Sep 2008, 2:55 am

War will become less acceptable if we start telling the truth. We need to be shown that the other side are also human and suffer in the same way that we do. In the present conflict in Afganistan the afgani dead are just numbers, the few Aussie casualties have been met at the airport by a full honour guard including the prime minister. We should be shown no holds barred interviews with the civilians that have had their families destroyed by our bombs. This goes for both sides of any conflict


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Everchanging
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30 Sep 2008, 4:49 am

DentArthurDent wrote:
War will become less acceptable if we start telling the truth. We need to be shown that the other side are also human and suffer in the same way that we do. In the present conflict in Afganistan the afgani dead are just numbers, the few Aussie casualties have been met at the airport by a full honour guard including the prime minister. We should be shown no holds barred interviews with the civilians that have had their families destroyed by our bombs. This goes for both sides of any conflict


Well there's no chance of that happening. Remind me, what nationality is Rupert Murdoch? :roll:


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DentArthurDent
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30 Sep 2008, 4:57 am

Everchanging wrote:

Well there's no chance of that happening. Remind me, what nationality is Rupert Murdoch? :roll:


I know that there is very little chance of that happening, oh and BTW I hate patriotism and nationalism and if I did I am English. Rupert Murdoch is like all other media magnates a mouthpiece and manipulator for a discredited ideology


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slowmutant
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30 Sep 2008, 6:04 am

Sand wrote:
There is no doubt that modern communication has brought some of the horror of war before the world in a way to perhaps demonstrate how awful it is. But still that does not seem to deter nations from indulging in it for very doubtful ends. To a great extent the ease with which a bullet or a bomb can destroy people has made war somehow more acceptable. A finger twitch can very easily destroy what it has taken a score of years to create in a viable intelligent human being. What is required is some way to reinforce the horror of killing someone to perhaps make it not quite so acceptable.
A secondary use of firearms in hunting is also looked at with a certain displeasure if it is merely used to blast beautiful animals into nothingness for mere sadistic pleasure. This displeasure is mitigated to a degree if the hunter eats what he or she kills.
Perhaps this secondary acceptance can be transferred to war to increase its horror to a degree that it will no longer be considered an easy solution to a problem.
If an international agreement were made that any people killed in combat, even if the deaths were proclaimed as accidental, would only be acceptable if the killers were forced to eat their victims. At least a portion of soldiers would be dissuaded from killing people, even those declared as enemies, if they were forced to eat them.
Of course, there is no doubt that another group, hopefully not too large, would not only enjoy killing people but also delight in eating them. Whole industries could be created in new ways to prepare and consume people and creative chefs would have a great time inventing new dishes. I have heard that Muslims and Jews refuse to eat pigs but I have never heard of any prohibitions about eating people so that should not be a problem.
It would no doubt solve some of the logistic problems in feeding large military forces and, at least to a degree, relieve the huge overpopulation of the globe by humans which is so threatening to all life on the planet.


A Modest Proposal? :?



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30 Sep 2008, 6:09 am

Participating in a war is the most effective way to see how horrible and unacceptable it is. Unfortunately sometimes it is the only way to stop evil people from continuing their activities. The larger problem is getting people to agree what is evil and what is not.


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slowmutant
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30 Sep 2008, 6:11 am

Good and evil are highly politicized notions. Of course there's good and evil outside of politcal ideology, but maybe not for long ... 8O


God .... Good

Devil ... Evil



slowmutant
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30 Sep 2008, 6:28 am

One way to achieve this is to for the USA to stop making those nationlistic uber-patriotic war films that glorify both war and the United States at war. War is not a good thing, despite what Hollywood tells you.

And after Hollywood is purged of this, let's go after the video game industry. It's no secret that these war-themed titles are blatant recruiting tools.



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30 Sep 2008, 7:12 am

I disagree, people should be aware of what war is, though choose not to participate unless threatened with certain death. If people possessed no concept of war, how could we prepare to defend ourselves? I participate in these simulations so as to seek a parcel of understanding. I also believe they prepare the mind for the possibility of conflict in the sense of reactivity and situational awareness. I do not believe that our mediums should be censored. Attempting to understand the root and systemic procession of these issues seems more appropriate imo.


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