What is it Good For? - Charlie Grimes

History has been defined by conflict. The uprising and declines of societies have been brought about almost entirely by war. While one may believe that this has only brought about pointless chaos and destruction, I believe it has done quite the opposite. More organized, advanced, and safer societies have been brought about by war throughout history. Studies have suggested that we are nearly 20 times less likely to die by the hands of another human being in today's society than in prehistoric times. The Roman Empire would not have arisen. The US would not have arisen. Whether you like it or not, war has been the engine of human progression for thousands of years.

I also believe war is quite often the only option to solving serious threats and conflicts in the world. It is completely irrational to believe that world leaders could just "sit down and talk through things," and all would be well. Humans are extremely unlikely to give up their freedoms unless forced to do so. Where would the US be if we had not waged war on the oppressive Great Britain? The colonists tried to resolve the conflict through peaceful talks (List of Grievances, etc.) and absolutely nothing came of it. Now, because of the Revolutionary War, the US has created an exemplary democracy that has progressed humanity.

The projected world population in 2100 is over 11 billion people, and expected to continue rising. As the world continues to swell up with more people, and resources become scarcer, is it really feasible to believe that humans will just peacefully accept major lacks of resources and die without a fight? War is inevitable, and we must accept this. With the development of technology that can wipe out millions in an instant, it seems necessary to find an alternative to it; however, there may not be one. Humanity may just be on a one-way trip to destruction of ourselves...