[Dean's World] Dean: What Causes War?

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Posted by Dean:
What Causes War?
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1141377140.shtml


   In my earlier essay on the possibility of civil war in Iraq, I
   realized that I view human nature very differently from most of my
   friends. Especially when it comes to war.

   Just so you know my beliefs and assumptions, I take a fairly
   counter-intuitive view: I do not believe that war is caused by any of
   the following:

   1) Hate 2) Rage 3) Spite 4) Envy 5) Avarice 6) Pride 7) Ethnic tension
   8) Religious tension

   I would add "misunderstanding," except I'm pretty sure there have been
   some (usually short-lived) wars caused by that.

   Anyway, agree with me or disagree, this is where I stand: I'm
   asserting point-blank that none of these is the ultimate source for
   war.

   I believe that the source for all major wars--not violent outbursts,
   but real wars--is: those who fight believe it is ultimately in their
   self-interest to fight. Yes, even for those who die: they believe it's
   in their self-interest (i.e. their love of those they believe they are
   defending)to die rather than surrender.

   Agree with me or disagree, this is how I view human nature. En masse,
   people fight to the death for something only when they think they have
   more to gain by killing than by not killing, more to gain by risking
   death than by accepting the status quo. Everything else is just
   peripheral.

   Which is why Red Sox fans rarely kill Yankee fans, or vice-versa.
   Amongst other things.

   A lot of you probably think I'm wrong. That's okay. Not a day goes by
   that someone doesn't tell me I'm wrong about something or other. But
   if you understand my assumptions, you'll understand what you're
   arguing against.

   And you'll also understand why I say there'll be no civil war in Iraq.
   It's not that there's any lack of people who hate each other over
   there. It's that, even if you look at it on a purely gut-level,
   there's no percentage in it for any of the theoretical combatants. And
   ultimately, most of them are not idiots.