Roger

War will never disappear for it is founded in primeval instincts as fundamental as sex and hunger: innate drives for self-preservation as well as protection of home and sustenance. To this, greed to take what other human beings possess seems equally fundamental, as is the motivation to seek revenge. Homo sapiens have always – and forever will – compete for resources and sense threats, real or imagined. Competition engenders conflict, and disagreements on a large scale may lead, tragically, to outright battle. War may be initiated by an aggressor, or defensive in nature; it is still war in either case. The genesis of endemic human conflict is far more complex than the equivalent instincts of other animals. Human beings stand apart in their intellectual capacity to reason, imagine and justify destructive conflict. We also possess the unique ability to devise ever more devastating methods to kill our enemies. Let us admire the pacifists, who represent an unattainable ideal for the human animal.