Hello,
Today I will be presenting on the well-known topic of war. Before I begin on the main topic, I would like to ask my audience if they know anyone in the Singapore Armed Forces other than their father. If so, I’m sure you have endured their insistent babbling about army life. The truth is, the army isn’t just a motivational camp for interaction.
I would also like to mention that this speech comes directly from my evaluation of war, after taking numerous opinions and theories into consideration. I question the nature of war.
War, under my opinion, is a behemoth born from the fears of men to ironically eradicate its human creator. There are many opinions of war concerning its negatives and positives. I shall discuss my personal opinion after a brief observation of wars in the past.
In the medieval ages, war was fought by noble kings and chivalrous knights. Battles were stages where warriors performed acts of bravery, skill, and loyalty to their king. War was quite a form of art at that time. Kings strategized to gain resources, protect their kingdom, or gain pride by forcing their foes on their knees. Although war was brutal and bloody, it determined the virtues of the warrior through his performance.
During the world wars, however, knightly virtues were belittled by the very struggle to survive. Leaders bickered among themselves over asymmetrical beliefs which eventually sparked a tremendous war. They threw battalion after battalion against one another like toy soldiers. It was a cruel war where bravery was too much of a common thing for leaders to take notice. It was a battle where soldiers gained consciousness of their well-being, and obeyed one rule- “kill or be killed”. This led to an increase in bestiality among soldiers as they killed their enemies nonsensically.
Today, war is ultimately controlled by the super force which is the American Army. America has the most powerful army in the world, but it doesn’t yield such immense power to conquer the world. After the terrible world wars, the world fears a sequel to the horror. America uses its army as a warning to those who dare disrupt the world’s peaceful routine. America does its best to ensure peace but there would always be an opposition.
To summarize war’s history, the medieval ages was a time when war was a performance of one’s intellect to overpower one’s opponent, and when knights died in a glorious battle. In the world wars, soldiers fall pawn to their leaders, and they hardly give a damn about anyone but themselves. Today, America uses its firepower for the greater good, which doesn’t turn out to be very effective.
War has changed a lot through the ages, and people have grown more conscious about the terror of war. Now I shall proceed with my statement of the world crisis.
I quote from a video game, “Was a man sent to kill, or a slave? A man chooses- a slave obeys.” This quote can relate to the atrocities of war. Leaders argue childishly among themselves and force innocent people to fight their battle on the frontlines. Soldiers lose their freedom to die for a quarrel that’s not theirs.
Let me ask you, “When it comes down to it, will you pull the trigger?” When you have your rifle’s reticule fixed on your target, will you shoot? Why does the target have to suffer? Are you ready to take responsibility of the death of a life? Young men, who had a future ahead of them, lost their lives in war because the government said to “go”. Before they have a chance to share their thoughts, they get shot in the temple.
If political leaders wish to fight brutally, then why don’t we set up a boxing ring constructed specially for both of them?
You may be thinking that I am dishonourable not to defend my country. But I tell you, there is a difference between bravery and stupidity. I have a mind of my own and I will choose whether or not to defend those that I care about.
In truth, war is conjured by fear of losing power. Greed, anger, courage and loyalty spawn from fear. Fear drives us to steal resources and protect ourselves. . In an unstable world where its’ every man for himself, peace cannot be fully obtained if the world continues in this motion. As real as it is, war is an illusion. If the world wants a stable environment then so be it! Why fight fire with fire when there is one aim?
If peace is what we strive for then use the millions of dollars used for making bombs to give the unfortunate a helping hand. The journey to peace will not be easy as it would require great trust and willingness to help others.
I would like to end my speech with a personal quote, hoping that it would enlighten you to look past the illusion of war. The problem isn’t about our differences, but how we respect diversity. Thank you!
