11.18.09 A New Alternative

Throughout the history of mankind and its civilizations, war has undoubtedly been the leading means to end disputes. It is impossible to deny the claim. War has existed as long as cultures have clashed. From tribes of cavemen to tribes of Native Americans, from the Greeks to the Goths, wars have always emerged. It is not a question of human nature, it is simply the way things have been. Man versus man has always been the way to determine who is the stronger power, to settle issues. In most cases diplomacy only really is effective after a war has been fought. I do, however, believe times finally may be changing.

I think that with the prevalence of nuclear weapons, warfare in general will gradually come to a halt, at least for the most part. Has it not already? Though conflicts do exist of course, we no longer fight wars with sheer force. World War II and Vietnam type strategies are no longer applicable with the rise of technology. Instead, warfare has changed completely so now that remote controlled weaponry and robots can now fight instead of humans. Of course, this certainly is still warfare and directly applies to the Heinlein's quote, however the trend is shifting towards more peaceful means. Nations now realize that one step out of line means potential nuclear war to end all life on the planet. This tense situation is reassuring. Nations will be hesitant to make drastic moves since extinction is always a possible consequence. As countries began to realize this, warfare decreased.

I also believe that warfare will decrease as more and more women enter politics and the government. Until the only recent past, women had absolutely no say in how countries should be run. The male dominated governments only reflect half of their respective populations. With a more sexually balanced government, decision making will shift. Though maybe not scientifically proven, I think women provide a more humanistic and emotional approach which should limit rash decisions leading to war.