War

The monstrosity of an impulse

The sad reality

War is killing people who do not know each other for the benefit of people who do know each other, but do not kill each other. Paul Valéry

The story of war goes back to the very origins of humanity. We find traces of generalised massacres as early as the late Palaeolithic (10,000 years ago). The Mesolithic sees the appearance of clashes between armies around emerging major civilisations. Then, from antiquity through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and on to modern times, human civilisation has continued to sacrifice its peoples and its children.

The expression of remaining instincts

The twentieth century magnified the horror of conflict — with Hitler's murderous climax as its apotheosis.

According to Clausewitz, "war is the continuation of politics by other means." Politics is the affair of a few dominant figures; war is primarily an expression of their domineering impulses — the jubilation of their narcissistic mind, the fruit of their manipulative (or psychopathic) brain when it comes to decision-making power.

War above all reveals humanity's inability to resolve certain disputes other than through violence. We have not yet found a way to establish trusting relationships between different groups of people. This failure compels humanity to maintain a mad arms race. Yet one need only contemplate our small planet lost in the middle of the universe to understand the absurdity of this self-destructive behaviour.

Behind the mask of cruelty

All wars are mass graves, massacres and monstrosities. The state will sell them as "surgical" or "clean" — but the reality is simply monstrous: shredded human beings, traumatised children and sensitive souls, abused or raped women, millions of hours of terror for innocent people while the decision-makers and their families remain safe.

Unfortunately, humanity takes the full measure of this only when it is physically the victim. The weakness of empathy prevents us from putting ourselves in the place of the innocent victims of war — civilian and military alike. State manipulation distorts the critical groups charged with protecting people (such as the media). This is why it often takes the bogging-down of a conflict for journalism worthy of the name to finally emerge and criticise. It requires the horror to be reached before the voices of religious leaders, philosophers and experts finally begin to speak for ordinary people.

Once the mythologies of war are exhausted, reason can return — and the media, the politicians and the people begin to understand the profound absurdity of the enterprise.

The direction of evolution

The history of war shows nonetheless a progressive reduction in armed conflicts. The number and scale of wars, though still enormous, is diminishing. Humanity is slowly learning to resolve its conflicts through negotiation and law rather than through violence. This is the direction of evolution — and nothing will stop it.

Text written around the year 2000