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I need some help elaborating a concept I believe to be true.
I believe that all wars throughout recorded history have begun with the accumulation of wealth, and ended in the redistribution of that wealth. I believe greed is the motivation behind empire building. Why are people driven to acquire far more than they actually need? Even when we and our descendants are assured of all of the creature comforts available, we still push to acquire more. Is this drive for dominance irresistible or can we rise above it? Why is pride such a motivating factor that soldiers will suffer and die for pride of a country which values them less than cattle?
I need some help elaborating a concept I believe to be true.
I believe that all wars throughout recorded history have begun with the accumulation of wealth, and ended in the redistribution of that wealth. I believe greed is the motivation behind empire building. Why are people driven to acquire far more than they actually need? Even when we and our descendants are assured of all of the creature comforts available, we still push to acquire more. Is this drive for dominance irresistible or can we rise above it? Why is pride such a motivating factor that soldiers will suffer and die for pride of a country which values them less than cattle?
You're trying to create a single factor theory about wars. Not all wars are for financial greed. Wayback before humans became capitalistic, wars were started for expanding tribe, conquer other tribes, not just for the access to natural resources, but for the sake of expansion and satisfaction. It is the same mentality for a company like Microsoft and for humans to explore space. wars began way before wealth. Wars are used to achieve things much more than wealth. The drive for dominance is not only irresistible but one of the fundamentally natural state of creatures. It is at the heart of evolution.
You're trying to create a single factor theory about wars. Not all wars are for financial greed. Wayback before humans became capitalistic, wars were started for expanding tribe, conquer other tribes, not just for the access to natural resources, but for the sake of expansion and satisfaction. It is the same mentality for a company like Microsoft and for humans to explore space. wars began way before wealth. Wars are used to achieve things much more than wealth. The drive for dominance is not only irresistible but one of the fundamentally natural state of creatures. It is at the heart of evolution.
Land and animals were the things of value in those days. Whether it is food or women or oil or slaves desired, the action of war is meant to wrest control of wealth from another.
There are 2 driving forces, greed and power. Power is many times more valuable then greed. Religion is the usual motivator to the masses to fight.
This seems like the most plausible answer.
Power is certainly an important aspect of war. Look to any war; all come down to holding power be it in the form of control, money, or some other resource.
Religion is often used as a motivator, but religion is not the only motivator. But there is always a motivator. In Nazi Germany, it was patriotism. It's not a religion but the mentality is the same; blind faith designed to appeal to the emotions. Religion is used most commonly because it's extremely exploitable.
Here we go again. Another one cause of all effects thread.
Elaborating a theory believed to be true is not how theories are proved. Looking for supporting evidence, agreement, do not prove a theory. A theory is tentatively accepted when it cannot be refuted.
Religion (Moorish conquest of Spain), love (Trojan war), error in all its forms (WWI), vanity and ego (Napoleonic wars), oppression (Haitian revolt against France).. ever single human emotion and drive has caused at least one war.
Wars have been fought for good causes, bad causes and no causes.
Two tribes in Java had fought for centuries until Australia told them they really didn't have to. Then they stopped.
American Indians tribes fought to replace members who had been killed in previous wars, that were fought to replace those who had been killed in previous wars, that were fought to replace those who had been.....i.e., mourning war.
ISIS is fighting today to eradicate all the non-believers and apostates in preparation for the end of the world, which will come in a couple of hundred years.
So, no matter how much support is found for the one-cause-of-all-effects-explanation-of-everything is scrounged together, it is already refuted by the existence of proof that refutes it utterly.
I need some help elaborating a concept I believe to be true.
I believe that all wars throughout recorded history have begun with the accumulation of wealth, and ended in the redistribution of that wealth. I believe greed is the motivation behind empire building. Why are people driven to acquire far more than they actually need? Even when we and our descendants are assured of all of the creature comforts available, we still push to acquire more. Is this drive for dominance irresistible or can we rise above it? Why is pride such a motivating factor that soldiers will suffer and die for pride of a country which values them less than cattle?
Well, wars are started by those in power. They always crave more. Its how they get people to follow them that is at the crux of things. Usually, they use an ideology, of some kind. Religion is a biggy,. Whatever method is used to galvanize the armies, and chain the support of the people, has to be a common fear, hatred or both.
War is an acronym, for We Are Right. So, those with power sow the belief that conquest and subjugation of an enemy is for their own good.. (shrug) Its worked for millennia.
There are 2 driving forces, greed and power. Power is many times more valuable then greed. Religion is the usual motivator to the masses to fight.
But power is achieved through the driving factor of greed or hedonism. I agree that all you need is a religion or a belief system to drive the masses to fight to gain power. It's all over the media. This "formula" has been around throughout history. It works well.
Why is pride such a motivating factor that soldiers will suffer and die for pride of a country which values them less than cattle?
The key to this is brainwashing said soldiers into believing that they are fighting for a noble cause despite the fact that they are most likely fighting to secure a large web of war-profiting financial investments for politicians and the ultra wealthy.
Second, set up the military as an alternative welfare system. Once you have a society filled with downtrodden people who cannot find jobs or education in the real world, they will look towards the military for direction in life, medical insurance, job training, and military "benefits."
A gov't or political party that defunds education, ships jobs overseas, and attempts to create a culture rich in religious "faith" and undying "patriotism", creates a culture rich in faithful and patriotic naïve, young men who look to the military as both their duty and their savior.
Never mind what happens if they don't come out alive, come out with severe head trauma, missing limbs, or severe post traumatic stress disorders that render them...well...
The war machine moves on.
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