“No country has ever become, or will ever become, happy through victory in war.” Gandhi. It is said that all issues could be solved peacefully. I would not argue against this claim, but I would add that not all violent wars are bad. In his piece, Civil Disobedience, Thoreau argues the fact that the government holds too much power. That it becomes self absorbed and puts itself over the rest of the country. This is seen in when Thoreau writes, "I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward." (Thoreau Page 372 lines 37-38) Through his use of inclusive diction Thoreau is able to attack the readers pathos by making himself one of them, as men, and then as subjects. This tactic is often times the most successful tactic for waging a violent but wanted war. By leaders, whether political of military, creating themselves seem an equal to their subjects they are able to emotionally connect and portray the ideals for which they are fighting.
This method was most successfully used in the late 2000's by George Bush and the war against terror. By making himself a U.S. citizen first and president second Bush was able to gain incredible support for the war on terror. The citizens of the US were able to find a common enemy in which a great majority of them wished to defeat in war. The end of the war on terror is not yet here, but there have been great strides in defeating terrorism. The finding and killing of Osama Bin Laden being a huge step for the US and a well celebrated moment throughout the country. Airport security as well as government agencies have limited the size and impact of terrorist attacks greatly as well as foiled a good many.
CON:
"No country has ever become, or will ever become, happy through victory in war.” Gandhi. It isn't hard to see that every war ever fought has ended or involved a great tragedy for any side fighting in it. Thoreau in his piece argues that it is not necessarily about immediate fixes, but the constant struggle for a better world. This idea is displayed in the passage, "I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government."(Thoreau Page 371 lines 21-22) By his use of exclusive diction Thoreau is able to show that it is not the countries desire for no government, but that does not mean that he himself cannot strive for a better government. This idea of one person making a difference, or standing up for what they want is often seen in peace groups that riot wars in modern times.
The idea of standing up for what you believe no matter what the majority believes is a well thought out, and often times overused statement. The idea that no war makes a country happy is often seen when protests of this kind break out. Great examples of this were riots over the Vietnam war, as well as protests in Tienanmen Square in China. As these protesters fought for peace, or for their rights to be met, they themselves showed their displeasure of their governments choices. To put it in Thoreaus words, "A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority." (Thoreau page 374 lines 160-161) The statement that no country can become happy through war is simply do to the fact that every war will upset someone. The fact that mothers will miss their children and husbands fighting the war, that soldiers will miss their comrades, all lead to the fact that someone will be upset by a war. And it is for that reason that even the smallest group must fight for what they believe in.
