I Delight in War Machines by AnthonyT

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I Delight in War Machines

POSTED BY: ANTHONYT
UPDATED: Friday, November 19, 2010 16:00
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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:16 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I don't care for war.

There was a time in my youth when it felt like a glamorous endeavor: Good marching against Evil. Angels versus Devils. The Just striking down the Unjust.

Then it evolved into an often necessary process from which you could derive grim satisfaction. Wars were fought to nip greater evils in the bud. Sometimes you have to fight to preserve your way of life. Sometimes you have to invade another country before they get a chance to hurt you. Sometimes you have to accept a few innocent deaths to prevent a bigger loss of life later.

Recently, it has evolved in my mind into a rarely necessary process. Usually trumped up under false pretenses and slanted arguments, fought for reasons nobody really knows, and costly in more ways than anyone could have accurately imagined.

I can now force myself to imagine some rare instances where war might be necessary, but I can no longer imagine any instances where it would be desirable. It has become a thing of reticence and disgust, to be entered only with the greatest trepidation and despair, and only when all other avenues of survival are exhausted. It is a vile option, and if we are forced into war, it should be with a sense of unremitting revulsion and disappointment that we were too feeble-minded to think of something better.

That having been said...

I think War Machines are fantastic.

When I was a boy, as far back as the 2nd grade, I used to pour over books with descriptions of World War II submarines and airplanes. To this day, I am fascinated by cutting-edge death machines of every description, from rifles and rockets to lasers and littoral combat ships. Warplanes roar in my imagination, whether they be Joint-Strike-Fighters or Warthog Anti-Tank aerial platforms.

So... What the devil is that about? How can I have come to loathe war while retaining my love for destructive devices? Why should a modern battle tank give me a thrill? Where does this schizophrenic outlook come from?

--Anthony

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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:23 AM

BLUEHANDEDMENACE

Hehe, that is a bit of a riddle, but my response would be that a respect for the tools of war, into near fanboyishness like u describe...could actually have the effect of forcing you to realize how good humans are at killing each other, which could lead to a disgust with the idea of war. The tools are just the tools tho, it isn't a tanks fault that wars are horrible, is it?

just my two cents, I could be way off base

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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:24 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

I'm the same way, Anthony. I think it's a bit of a visceral delight in the idea of someone "pushing the envelope". War machines are generally perceived as being the cutting edge of technology; after all, the first thing that happens with any new tech seems to be someone saying, "Can we weaponize it?"

I get a kick out of the newest, latest, fastest, "bestest" war machines, but I also have a soft spot for the classics. I get a sense of pride when I see a WWII fighter or bomber still flying. These were birds that were supposed to be around for a short while, get their crews through battles and safely home a couple dozen times if they were lucky, and they're still flying. It's as if time can't kill them, because they are just that good.

In a way, you have to decouple yourself from the purpose of such things. See the achievement without seeing the intent, as it were.

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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:29 AM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by BlueHandedMenace:
Hehe, that is a bit of a riddle, but my response would be that a respect for the tools of war, into near fanboyishness like u describe...could actually have the effect of forcing you to realize how good humans are at killing each other, which could lead to a disgust with the idea of war. The tools are just the tools tho, it isn't a tanks fault that wars are horrible, is it?

just my two cents, I could be way off base

I don't think you're off; there's something to that line of thinking. There's also something to be said for the "glorious battle", the idea of going one-on-one against a noble foe to see who's better. I've never looked at a nuclear warhead with the fascination I could feel for a P-08 Luger or a Samurai sword. You see the tools, and you see the ever-increasing efficiency with which we can kill each other. It used to be man-to-man, with an even shot at surviving. Now one man can kill - quite literally - millions, with the push of a button. There's nothing noble in that kind of power or warfare, while there still might at least APPEAR to be some nobility to the old styles of combat.

The modern definition of "socialist" is anyone who's winning an argument against a tea-bagger.

AURaptor's Greatest Hits:

Friday, September 24, 2010
I hate Obama's America. You're damn right about that.

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:26 To President Obama:
Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar.
Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.
... go fuck yourself, Mr. President.

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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:35 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

It's true that war machines tend to be awesome vehicles and showcases of what mankind can do. Even the classics, as you say, are still awesome. There is no vehicle in my daily experience that matches the power or capability of a Sherman Tank or B-17 Bomber.

Even our huge and impressive civilian craft, like the 747, are flown with such an eye towards delicateness that they lose some of their ability to impress. Yes, a 747 is big and powerful, but since civilian travel disdains disturbing the passengers, you never get the sense that the vehicle is capable of anything more than gentle, steady movements. By contrast, War Machines are built to endure havoc, and they look like it, too.

Even if you go as far back as the Greek City-States, you'll find tools of war to impress me with. Gorgeous armor, strong and light. Robust shields. Hand-crafted blades that were the product of days or weeks' worth of effort. Even with war technology thousands of years old, the stuff is impressive.

Perhaps we tend to love hot-rods and high-performance luxury vehicles because they are one of the few places where civilian devices try to approach the performance of military devices.

--Anthony

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Friday, November 19, 2010 8:37 AM

BLUEHANDEDMENACE

Quality expansion of my point.

I agree there is beauty in a samurai sword, or a good yew longbow...but yes modern tools of war seek to remove the human element as much as possible...the less human your enemy appears on the battlefield, the easier to choice to kill becomes...

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Friday, November 19, 2010 9:11 AM

CANTTAKESKY

Could it be a guy thing? Boys with toys?

Usually, I'd be the first out there touting gender equality and all. But raising two boys has given me new insights about what might be inherent fascination for all things violent. (Doesn't mean one approves, but one is mesmerized.)

CTS

----
Arrogant and proud of it.

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Friday, November 19, 2010 9:43 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

It might be. There could be some kind of genetic switch that causes the male half of the species to be drawn to ideas or tools that allow efficient goal acquisition, as a means to survival. Even if the goal is destruction.

Of course, then we would expect all men everywhere to have the same fascination, even aboriginal groups. I'm not sure whether or not all men are the same in this regard.

And if it is linked to gender, we would be surprised to see women with a similar fascination.

Humans so often enjoy the idea of reducing a problem to a singular solution or tracing a phenomenon to a singular cause.

I remember speaking to an allergist once who explained how tricky allergies can be. You may not be allergic to rice or beans alone. You might only get a reaction when rice and beans are combined. Or it might be rice and beans combined with coconut. Combinations are so difficult because they can't be traced to a single element, and such tracing is the standard method we use for diagnosis.

So in these kinds of discussions, I often believe that two or three people might actually have part of the answer, even if their proposals are all dissimilar.

--Anthony

Assured by friends that the signal-to-noise ratio has improved on this forum, I have disabled web filtering.

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Friday, November 19, 2010 4:00 PM

DREAMTROVE

I don't know. I'm not big on war machines. A lot of guys I knew were. I like lots of nifty machines like space ships and sailing ships. I guess I like escape. I'm probably the natural result of someone who selected invisibility over flying.

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