War and the Alternative
War is such an archaic term, is it not? Throughout human history, war has been present in one context or another. In today’s world, 2022, war is seen in almost every aspect of human existence. More often than not, war is the brutal human vs. human onslaught for some conquest, be it personal or political agendas or the perception of human vs. this-or-that cause (e.g., climate, pollution, sickness, drugs, etc.), but what is the structure of war, its purpose, its rules, and more importantly who made them?
Like children who make a game, there are rules to follow, like the ethical and moral considerations that are the agreed sets of rules for conducting war properly. Instead of children, some leaders commune and agree upon the rules for the methodology of fighting for the world. Maybe, it’s time to change the practices of war and take the price tag of life off of the list.
Some of the founding principal of civilization (past, present, and in hope, the future) are respect, honor, and integrity. Indeed, there is a way to go about the concept of war creatively, collectively, without the loss of life. Besides, war is the same; instead of killing one another with sticks and stones, it’s become sophisticated in the context of tools, not in the structure, not in the how.
By changing the foundations of war and utilizing the proclaimed human intelligence that people so gallantly boast and showcase, it’s a wonder if people will be able to evolve past violence.
What seems to be the dilemma is the perception of the opposite, of war or peace, and because of this fallacious, prolonged, and repetitive argument to no end, might there be a third alternative?
In this proposal, keep the competition structure and change the agreement of what it means to succeed in conquest. Alter the methods of war; that is, instead of lethal combat, turn to the modern and growing technologies of the world to conduct official and simulated non-lethal warfare with non-lethal weapons. Better yet, make war virtual or an augmented simulation, advanced paintballs, non-lethal bullets, and even military-grade laser tag. There are endless options for an alternative to war beside the current human conditions. Often people growl, “this isn’t a game”...well maybe it ought to be.
That said, welcome to the new way of war, technologically advanced and life-preserving, within the human collation.
-Marshall Kilgore (Esotus)
