Aging Capriciously

Battle of Thermopylae: 480 BCE

This will be the war to end all wars.  We are fighting for peace and justice.  We have the moral high ground.  Our enemies want to destroy the world.  They seek a reign of terror and injustice.  We are the good guys, it is clear.  They are the bad guys, it is clear.  Good guys have the right to maim and kill.  We do it for the right reasons.  God is on our side.  This war will forever stamp out evil.  We will march and sing hymns of praise to God.  We will only kill those that need to be killed.  Women and children that get in the way are collateral damage.  We will save them from themselves.  The world and history will thank us.  Onward soldiers for God and country!

The Battle of Pharsalus: 48 BCE

This will be the war to end all wars.  If we don’t stop them now, they will soon be over here.  We must take the battle to them and show them we mean business. We are not afraid.  Have you ever heard of the Domino Effect?  If we let them take one domino, they will soon take them all.  Pretty soon, they will come to our country to take our dominoes.   We must keep our dominoes for ourselves.  No one else can be allowed to play with our dominoes.  What are a few thousand or million dead people?  We must destroy the village before we can save it.  We fight for a cause that is bigger than any one of us.  Forget yourself, charge the enemy.  Do not take any prisoners.  They would not be kind to you.

The Battle of Tours: 732 CE

This will be the war to end all wars.  We must be tough.  No one who wants to win can flinch in the face of the enemy.  Prime your rifles and mount your bayonets.  Charge on command!  Don’t think, just act.  Yours is not to reason why.  Follow your orders.  The enemy will not hesitate.  You must not give them any quarter.  They will slaughter your wife and children.  They will destroy your way of life.  Heroism and medals await those of you who put your lives on the line for your country.  Protect your flanks.  Never retreat.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

The Battle of Agincourt: 1415 CE

This will be the war to end all wars.  We have drawn a line in the sand and we cannot back down.  The die is cast and we must stand up to injustice and tyranny.  We will fight the good fight and God will be on our side.  God asks us to be brave soldiers and to never fear.  The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.  Cowards die many times before their deaths but heroes only die once, though sometimes it is a slow lingering death.  Never worry though, there is a special place in heaven for those who die in defense of liberty and justice and freedom.  There are also many medals you can earn and if you die in the line of duty, there are posthumous awards which can go to your survivors or nearest relatives.  Never fear, you will not be forgotten.

Battle of the Somme:  1916 CE

This will be the war to end all wars.  We must show them we mean business.  We are a nation of practical business people.  We are a nation that wages war like a business.  We do not mean to really kill anyone but it is just good business.  It is nothing personal you know.  We might even like you if the circumstances were different but it is good for the economy.  Practical matters aside, you don’t understand our economic system.  Perhaps, if we could kill you more impersonally, you would not object so much.  We can build more drones and you will not even see them coming.  We don’t want bodies on the ground; it is not good for business.  Good wars like any good business must be pragmatic.  If we kill a few millions of you perhaps you will understand that God wants us to succeed.  You must put your own personal problems aside when your country needs you.  Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.  Be proud to die for your country and your economic system.

The Tet Offensive: 1968 CE

This will be the war to end all wars.  We fight for the greater good.  Right is on our side.  Might makes right and we are the mightiest nation on the face of the earth.  We are righteous and just and our enemies are cowards and liars.  We fight to make the world a better place to live and for future generations.  Our evil enemies only fight for themselves and their ill-gotten gains.  Our battle is wondrous.  Glory, glory, hallelujah!  Our God is marching on.  As he died to make men holy, let us die to make sure that all men are free.  Ours is never to reason why, ours is never to make reply, ours is simply to do or die.  There is no try.  Greatness awaits us in heaven for this small price we must pay on earth.  Never fear, you will get your rewards as all good soldiers must.  Remember old soldiers never die.  Their memories may fade away, but the glory of the valiant men and women who will give up their lives today to protect their native land will never be forgotten.  Stand firm now, toe to toe, shield to shield, rifles to rifles.  Be ready, be able and be willing.  One can ask no more than that you are willing to give up your life to end all wars.

This will be the war to end all wars,

No more war, no more war, ever again.

This will be the war to end all wars,

We are finally, yes finally, going to get the peace dividend.

Time for Questions:

Is there ever a good war?  What wars have ended all wars?  Have you ever fought in a war?  What were your experiences?  Why do we seem to have one war after another?  What will it take to end war?

Life is just beginning.

“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” —  George S. Patton