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John Shepard English 1 Professor Martin 24 September 2013 War: The Only Way Is war ever necessary? There are people on all sides of this issue. Some think that war is the only way to solve problems when a country doesnt know how to play nice. Others think that war is not the only solution to international disagreements, and that peace always wins. Both sides of the issue are heavily debatable, but I choose to believe that war has its place in the world. While war is always ugly and is the cause of millions of innocent deaths, it is often necessary for the greater goodthis has been proven several times throughout history. It isnt all just mindless killing until the enemy surrenders; war works and can solve problems. Aside from the negative effects like innocent civilian casualties, war creates jobs and instills a sense of patriotism and unity for a nations citizens, which is important for the integrity of the nation. When tactfully waged, war solves problems. War can prevent someone from gaining too much power and becoming a tyrant. In history, one particular instance takes the spotlight. When Hitler made it his goal to eradicate all Jews, Gypsies, Blacks, and all other non-Aryans, war was an effective method of thwarting his evil plans. America supported Russia with millions of dollars of weapons and supplies which in turn allowed Russia to win against Germany on the eastern front (US Department of State). The war in Europe ended with the Germans surrendering, thus concluding Hitlers reign of

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power. What would be of the world today if Hitler had been allowed to continue genocide? War is human nature. It is the nature of all life to compete for resources. Even though the topic of war may seem detached from the idea of animals competing for food, it is a form of competition. Lions and hyenas will often kill each other over food (Tuckker). How is it any different for humans to kill for the welfare of their country or secure resources? During the Persian Wars in 492-449 BC, the Persian Empire waged war with Greece in order to gain more territory, food, and resources like iron (Green). Humans and animals alike are forced, and even encouraged to compete. Sure, nobody wants to be on the losing side of war, but that is why militaries exist: to not lose wars. Anyone who lives somewhere and doesnt believe that their country and its i deals are worth fighting for doesnt deserve to live in that country. A lack of patriotism threatens the integrity of the nation. When the people of a country dont think that they should at the very least use war as a form of defense, they are practically rolling over for the enemy and refusing to cooperate with each other. And to those who believe in rolling over to avoid violence at all costs, I ask: Where is your backbone and will to live? To allow the enemy to win is certain death. In a dog-eat-dog world, pacifism achieves nothing. I pity the soul that dares ask a bloodthirsty tyrant to play nice. Simply put in the 19th century philosopher John Stuart Mills words, War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. To conclude, war is a necessary evil of mankind. While it is the cause of millions of innocent deaths, it works. War is able to solve problems and save lives when

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tactfully waged. Those who oppose war should carefully examine Americas involvement in World War 2, which let to Hitlers loss of power and the end of his genocide. Aside from being able to solve problems, war in different forms of competition, are found throughout nature. Animals must fight in order to live, and so must humans, since people with always disagree with each other. Though over 60 million people died in World War 2, nobody knows how many more people would have been killed if Hitler had been allowed to continue his regime (US Holocaust Museum). War causes millions of innocent deaths, and the consequences may be dire. Before waging war, a government must decide if the war is worth waging in the first place. If the effects of a war are worse than what the war is trying to stop, then the war shouldnt be had. Wars are constant struggles and are a form of checks and balances that must exist as long as people inhabit the earth.

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Work Cited Green, Peter The Year of Salamis. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1996. Print. Tucker, Abigail The Truth About Lions. Smithsonian. January 2010. Web. 31 October 2013 United Stated Department of State. Lend-Lease and Military Aid to the Allies in the Early Years of World War II. N.d. 31 October 2013 "World War II in Europe." World War II in Europe. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.