War and Peace

Ok, so I watched Fahrenheit 9/11 on Friday. But this is not going be what you think it will be, it is not a movie review. It is a narration of how my perception of the armed forces and war underwent a 180 degree change. Not that anyone wants to know... but anyway, that's not going to stop me now is it?... :-)

I was a firm believer in the spirit of the armed forces: the heroism of serving your country, being ready to give up your life for your nation, the pride when you wear the smart uniform! A lot of this attitude has to do with my NCC (National Cadet Corps - the student wing of the Armed Forces in India) experiences, NCC Army in school and NCC Navy in college. I even tried out to be a Pilot for the Indian Air Force (I failed the third round aptitude test).

But as I was watching Fahrenheit 9/11, I realized that I no longer supported the idea of war or of the armed forces. It's not that the movie changed my opinion, but the movie made me realize it. Nothing, NOTHING is worth taking away another human being's life. We do not have the power to give life to a person, what right do we have to take it away?? You ask "So do we sit and watch while the enemy invades us and takes innocent lives?". Frankly, I don't know the answer to that. A few years ago, I would have said "Absolutely not! We need to fight back!". But now, it seems like such a waste. So now, innocent people from the enemy camp also die in addition! What good can that possibly do?! It will only increase bitterness on both sides! A war can never lead to a resolution (although it may seem that way). It only exacerbates the already existing tension between the warring factions.

The soldiers at war are not to blame, they are not the ones that made the decision to go to war. It's the people sitting in plush offices and don't have sons in the Forces that make these exciting decisions. Solutions? Attitude change, we need to get out of the mindset that we can find peace by brute force or by crushing a delinquent country. The important thing there is that we ALL need a change in our psyche. It won't do if one country expects the world to ban the use of nuclear weapons while she herself continues to boost her nuclear strengths. Is anyone listening?


PS- The movie is definitely worth watching, double thumbs up from me!