Photo by Tori Nefores
The reason why wars should be avoided lies in the fact that, at the end of the day, the ones who truly suffer are those who are innocent.
Virginia R. Degner, author of The Letters of C.M. Case, has a wholesome family historical novel book about the Second World War. The book showcases the struggles they experienced while raising a family in a wartorn country. It contains a treasure trove of stories based on the real-life experience of C.M. Case.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at why any kind of war should be avoided and must never be considered or put on the table.
War is Financially Costly and Damaging
Take a look at these figures: the United States’ wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (as well as the violence they caused in Pakistan and Syria) cost roughly $4.8 trillion between 2001 and 2016; in contrast, Canada’s 12-year military presence in Afghanistan cost $8.4 billion.
According to the Institute for Economics & Peace, the cost of violence, including war, to the world economy in 2016 was $14.3 trillion, or over five dollars per day for every person on the planet.
Imagine what could be achieved if that money were used to finance peacebuilding as opposed to waging war.
Plenty of Nonviolent Alternatives Exist That Avoids Another Second World War Family Saga
Among the many nonviolent methods available to stop a war and its terrible aftermath are strategic peacebuilding, peace education, diplomacy, conflict resolution, disarmament, dialogue, and development. An increasing body of knowledge is also highlighting nonviolent alternatives to confronting extremist and terrorist violence.
There are a lot of nonviolent strategies and instruments available to states and societies that are genuinely interested in peace.
There’s No Easy Way to Put It — War Kills and Harms
Those who must wage war suffer injuries, deaths, and disabilities. It can result in moral injury as well as a high degree of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These moral injuries include anxiety, shame, anger, or guilt. Soldiers experience them as a result of harming or killing other soldiers.
Suicide also happens among soldiers. 130 Canadian soldiers sadly committed suicide between 2010 and 2017.
If this isn’t enough reason why wars should be avoided, then we truly are living in a sad world. Hopefully, we can prevent war from spreading. Being able to write a family historical novel book about the Second World War might not be worth it since war is truly hell. We must genuinely avoid wars at all costs and save our soldiers from suffering.
War Fails to Address the Root Issues It Claims to Fight For
Even though comprehensive peace negotiations can lead to some “peace” after a war, the underlying grievances are rarely addressed. See, regardless of whether it’s hunger, racial or religious tension, lack of access to resources and land, political marginalization, etc., war fails to address the main issue.
Due to this fact, many old wars can easily lead to new wars, with many more casualties. It’s not worth it to start a war if it ultimately fails to fix the problem it sought to solve.
Civilians and Innocent Lives Are the One Who Truly Suffer
Approximately 200 million people lost their lives in war in the 20th century, and this century has already seen many millions of deaths. Not only does war kill people, but it also causes the spread of deadly diseases, hunger, and literally breaks families apart.
Rape and other kinds of sexual violence towards women and girls are another common weapon of war. War has an incredible human cost that affects future generations.
Why Wars Should Be Avoided Must Be Abundantly Clear Now
War is never a worthy solution to the problems that the world is facing. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows,” and he couldn’t have said it any better.
If you wish to read an excellent family historical novel book about the Second World War, then purchase a copy of Virginia R. Degner’s The Letters of C.M. Case by visiting her website at https://www.virginiadegner.com/.
Check out our other blogs, and learn the takeaways from war novels that we can get!