How costly can preparation (or the lack thereof) be? If there is one thing America has taught me through war, is that being prepared for it can save many lives, and lacking preparation can lead to the death of many. Lets portray American Sniper for example, it depicts a unique situation, one in which they are at "war" in order to prevent a war. Ironic isn't it? but it's just as real as it is ironic. Chris Kyle has over 160 credited kills to his name, these are all people that could have "potentially" lead to a severe war and/or death of many people. Kyle is seen as a hero, but in reality also viewed as the bad guy, after all, who are we to decide whether or not someone will choose to do something catastrophic until it does happen?
Morever, we have a situation in which we are doing everything we can, to be prepared for potential threats following the 9/11 attack that we didn't have a clue would happen. Now take Saving Private Ryan, a very distinct film that has a purpose within the purpose. One that, although is supposed to be about saving a Private in the midst of war, conveys how difficult it was to obtain victory during WW2 after the conquering of much of Western Europe by the Nazi Germany reign and the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese Navy. Here we have a situation in which the lack of preparation caused us many lives. These two events and many like it, have shaped the way we think and take threats now. We have to make a choice on "potential threats" as Shelly Kagan states in Intending Harm, we either choose to kill one/a few in order to save two/a multitude, or we run the risk of that person killing many before facing justice.
Being in the position of the military, what exactly are you supposed to do? Do you go on a killing spree of these "potential" threats, or do you sit back and wait for a drastic tragedy to happen? One could argue that America wouldn't be in this position in the first place if they would just stay out of other countries; then again, had America stayed out of the way during the first two world wars, they would not only have ran the risk of being conquered as well, but they would have simply sat back as the holocaust was occurring and dictatorship engulfed the world.
Many believe wars and armies shouldn't exist in the first place, I can partially agree with those bold statements, there shouldn't be a need for either to exist, but the truth is, there is evil all over the world, and power being handed down to one person or one group of people can be heavily dangerous, thus leading to a need for systems of self-defense. America began with the Militia, whom along with all the other brave people who stepped up are responsible for our independence. Evil actions have forced the world to create armies and self-defense systems. American Sniper depicts both a hero yet somehow a bad guy, similar to a vigilante, it shows the way America now prepares for future events, safety at the cost of lives. Saving Private Ryan depicts what the consequences were for the lack of preparation, victory at the cost of lives. We end up with two unfair options, Safety and preparation first at the cost of lives or lives at the cost of the lack of safety and preparation.
The example in saving private Ryan that you gave about how it shows the devastation and difficulty of war without focusing the whole film on it was a very good analytical point. You are right. If America did stay out of the first two World Wars, then we might have been conquered. There is nothing to say that we still wont be conquered by another country soon. As history shows even the mightiest empires fall. Rome, Persia, Mongolia British Exploration. We are seen as being on top of the world by many countries. We too will fall into the destructive downfall that besieges all great powers.
ReplyDeleteWar is the product of power lust between countries, or though it seems. Although we as a species have made large strides in terms of developing channels that encourage diplomacy rather than war, the act of killing your enemy in the heat of combat will always serve to be a quicker and more finalized response to international conflict. As defined by dictionary.com, power is "the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events." When one nation has greater military power than another, it is seemingly easier to kick down their door, flex your power, and force your opponent to adhere to your will. This is why we fight. When conflicts are unable to be resolved with diplomacy, we send our troops into areas where they either lose their lives in battle or are forced to live in the aftermath of the pain and suffering they inflicted on others in the name of defending their country.
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