"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
- G.K. Chesterton
War is some sort of organized conflict between nation states, although sometimes it can even involve non-state actors. The absence of war is peace. War can take on many different forms such as conventional warfare, nuclear warfare, civil war, etc. Some of the largest wars in the 20th century are WWII, WWI and the Second Sino-Japanese War. Even now the US is at war with Iraq. Wars are generally not advantageous from an international perspective. Irrespective of the many fatalities and casualties in war, even the surviving soldiers often return with post-traumatic stress disorder. Along with military casualties, civilian casualties also come in high numbers. Furthermore, there is usually a devastating effect on the economy of the losing nation. Even winning nations have to pay a cost of war. Lastly, most wars usually involve a backward step in terms of the arts. Museums are frequently raided and many national treasures often destroyed.
Mural of War by Gari Melchers
Peace is preferred to war, but often hard to obtain once a conflict has arisen. Often times other countries will choose to step into conflicts in order to help resolve them in a non-violent and peaceful way. We can see interventions in the forms of units such as the Peace Corps of both Canada and the US. Furthermore, the United Nations employs many peacekeepers who are recognized by their blue helmets and/or blue berets. The United Nations' peacekeepers are compromised of military and civilian personnel from 130 different countries who have agreed to contribute. Peacekeeping does not use force or coercion approaches to achieve its goals.
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