Issue 46.14
History is replete with wars and rumors of wars, but at no time has it been more pervasive on a global scale than it has been for the last 100 years. Why would I address this topic in a series called “Principles of Freedom”? It is because, if the first casualty of war is truth – the second is almost always personal freedom.
I put forward the notion that, if men were always good and just, wars would not ever be necessary. Because there are those who desire power at the expense of others, there are times when we must fight to obtain or retain our freedoms and our unalienable rights. In saying this, I in no way excuse those who have created situations that caused war or that have used subterfuge and outright lies to make war seem necessary when it is not.
What impels countries and groups such as terrorists to wage war? It is almost always based in the leaders creating fear or anger. Those who have fought in wars will almost always tell you that they wish war would cease – it is not desirable except for those who profit from it, either by gaining power over others or by profiteering (making money by selling arms, munitions, equipment etc.) The soldier is very seldom the one who receives the benefit, but they are the ones who pay the dearest price. It takes serious concerns to motivate a large number of people to fight each other.
What most people don’t realize is that the major wars follow this example. Our Revolutionary War was fought because we asserted our unalienable rights and rejected British subjugation. Britain “feared” we would fragment their empire and diminish their control. They determined they must wage war to maintain their power, not only over us but over most of the world. The Civil War resulted when sharp differences of opinion about economics and slavery turned into fears. The South feared the government would force them into loss of income and what they felt was their right to control their property and future. The North feared that losing control of the Southern States would weaken the country financially and militarily and make us easier prey to foreign interests. If Britain had just allowed us to go our way and if the North had just allowed the South to secede, there would not have been war, but fear made that unlikely, if not impossible.
In World War II, Hitler came to power because the people had suffered starvation and deprivation after World War I. He played on those fears and convinced them the only way they would be safe is to have power over their enemies. He blamed many, but especially the Jews for the German people’s problems and used that to motivate them to war and atrocities. The Japanese leaders were afraid they would not have the resources they needed to survive as a nation and used that fear to motivate a large build-up of their military and invasions of mainland China and surrounding islands. They attacked us because we increased that fear by blockading shipments to and from Japan, creating a situation where they felt they had to fight or die. We will talk about some of the other recent wars next time, but hopefully we can learn some things from our history. Reducing fear and refusing to demonize others is something that our leaders can do, if they choose. That would go a long ways towards avoiding unnecessary wars.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.