Is War Neccesary to Humanity?

[IMAMONKEY!]

A friend and I were discussing this in class just 2 minutes ago and i thought i would pose the question here right now. (she's watching me type this). And she just told me to put post not pose. Anyway, barring our arguments, who here thinks war is a neccesary factor for human technological growth/evolution?

[hallenrm]

Well, as per my signature below, change is essential, nature cannot get along without changes. War or peace can be the agents for change, depending on the circumstances! :hihi:

[InfiniteNow]

http://hypography.com/forums/community-polls/6360-i-want-world-peace-yes-no-16.html#post139258

 

 

What are necessary are food and water and a vehicle to pass on our genes. After that, it's irrelevant.

[cwes99_03]

I haven't commented much on these threads because I have a somewhat idealized view of the future. In that idealized view there will be no more war. However, humanity in it's current state, I believe, is incapable of living life without war, crime, or poverty, and humans are incapable of solving these problems as a whole.

[Edella]

In principal,no. War is not necessary to humanity. Humanity could certainly survive,change,grow,etc without war.

[Freddy]

Gwynne Dyer in War posited that humans cannot rid themselves of the curse of war. It used to be he said that with every generation nations tried to destroy each other in war. Now that they actually can none of the handful of nations capable of doing it have not. Perhaps there is hope for humanity?

[theblackalchemist]

war is not at all needed

here are a few maxims

 

All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers

 

the old start wars but it is the young who will fight them

 

war is power but power is pain

if you dont understand i wont care to explain

 

cheers

TBA

[moosegal]

In reality, war is not necessary. When man can all reach a higher plain, it would be nice to think that war will be non existent. Until all mankind reach that level, even the more superior will have no other choice but to partake in war. War is necessary for survival, to allow us to grow into a better race.

[skuzie]

In the past war was good at shaking up society, re-balancing the playing field for many people as it redistributed wealthy, power, and genes. War is sometimes necessary for faster development of our society and technology, because change usualy results in progress. So i think wars were necessary in the past in the sence of progress, but i think theyre not so much necessary in our future. Change has caught up to us and we no longer need wars to level playing fields and to foster progress through change, or do we? im sure if i lived in another corner of the world i might have a different opinion.

[Kriminal99]

War a necessity for technological growth/evolution? No way...

 

War might be slightly better than just a capitolistic economy at motivating technological growth but only for developing weapons technology...

 

The threat of war is going to motivate this anyways to some degree, and desire to make profit in a capitolistic economy is going to motivate development of technology of the kind that is just going to make our everyday lives better.

 

Now if you asked if war is a necessary result of human existence, that would be an entirely different question...

[infamous]

who here thinks war is a neccesary factor for human technological growth/evolution?

I certainly don't think it's a neccessary factor in the developement of technology. It may however be related in some degree to our evolutionary progress. Even though intelligent human being desire to eliminate it from the human experience, the specter of it continues to survive despite all efforts to the contrary. Whether it's related or not, I personally don't view it as justly neccessary for human evolution even though it sadly continues to persist......................Infy

[eric l]

War is such a waste of people, of energy, of resources, of whatever that I simply cannot believe that it can be neccesary.

In Antiquity, war could be considered - if not neccesary, then at least "useful" - because more could be gained than what it may have costed. But even then, some of those wars lasted so long, that it may be doubted if there was any net gain. But any war in the 20th century would be considered a loss by any accountant.

The space race of the 1960's proves that other incentives can lead to advances in science and technology as important as (traditional) wars. But up to a point this space race was a kind of non-violent war.

Of course, wars rarely start with a cost-benifit analysis.

And if you're thinking of that famous scene in the Ferris-wheel in "The Third Man", Switzerland that did not fight any war (after 1600 AD or thereabouts) did create other things besides the cuckoo clock !

[rocket art]

War is necessary to WAR ECONOMY. And the lust of it will cause the manipulation to humanity, supressing its capability to evolve beyond its situation, sowing intrigue and divisiveness and conflict everywhere in the world (as they have the means to fund such criminal acts). The machinery being used by entrenched culprits for such manipulation may be violent religions, materialistic ideologies, dumbing down and misinformation to the masses as what occured in the hyped reporting of WMD by puppet corporate media.

[Michaelangelica]

WW1 was the first technological war which depended on technology and the industry/economy of a country to win.

The world was shocked by the carnage and resolved never to have another World War

WW2 happened because the issues of WW1 were not resolved.

 

We have now developed war to such an Art Form that it should not ever be contemplated anywhere.

 

Why kill your kin?

 

It is interesting that the Nazis invented steroids to promote aggression.(& muscle)

Perhaps we pacifists could slip some progesterone into the water supply?:)

[InfiniteNow]

Perhaps we pacifists could slip some progesterone into the water supply?:)

Maybe some oxytocin too... :)

[Michaelangelica]

Maybe some oxytocin too... ;)

Flower:bouquet: power :) forever ;)

 

On a serious note; Isn't it scary how many of our emotions are chemically induced?

 

In WW1 Soldiers were stoned with Rum before they went over the parapet.

 

Japanese troops (& Allied??) in WW2 were full of amphetamine

 

In Vietnam. . , .well that's another story.:)

[Boerseun]

Humans are territorial animals, and as long as that's the case, I think warfare might not necessarily be necessary, but unavoidable.

 

But now our territories aren't only physical anymore, our territories are also now our spheres of influence.

 

Governments are more and more getting involved in conflicts to protect and extend their spheres of influence, and to ensure their control over the flow of resources across the globe. These resources, which might not necessarily be on the country in question's soil, ensure the quality of life back home. And that needs to be protected. So, in order to control the resources, other countries' sovereignty becomes less and less a thing that needs to be respected.

 

And the current situation in the world has pre-programmed an enormous resource-battle in the next twenty or so years. And I'm afraid that it'll make the Second World War look like a walk in the park. But that's a long story that probably justifies its own thread.

 

Am I a pessimist? I hope so, to tell the truth. I wouldn't want my kids to grow up through such a conflict. But as things pan out on a day-to-day basis, the pre-programmed conflict I mentioned above seems to be all the more unavoidable.