Refusing To Fight

WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME why I say that I do not like human beings, despite being one, my answer is: "history". During the twentieth century, for instance, approximately one hundred million people died in military combat. I rest my case. Violent conflict is not an aberration.. Quite indisputably, violent conflict is a fundamental characteristic of human behavior, despite the fact that, as Aristotle said, man is a social animal. What other conclusion is possible? But, ther is hope. during world War One, the armies settled into their trenches for four years, as the German offensive was stalled, and instead of pressing an ineffective attack, decided to dig in, since they were already on enemy soil, and dare the French and their allies to drive them out. It got boring down there. Christmas arrived, and a cease fire was agreed on to give both armies a chance to collect and bury their dead. So close were the opposing trenches that as the men worked, they could easily communicate with each other. One thing led to another, and before long, the clean up became a unified project, with members of both armies assisting in the process regardless of uniform. Then, they began to share food and drink, and get together in discussion groups, to compare notes on their war experiences. it turned into a party, up and down the front line, French and Germans mingling amiably. They sang Christmas carols together. Then came time for the truce to end .The men in arms had no desire to end the truce; it was far more pleasant than getting sot at. On both sides, officers had to cajole their men to return to their trenches and resume fighting. This scenario played out often enough and along enough of the front lines that senior officers became fearful that the war might have to be called off. Thereafter, they became far more careful and reluctant about arranging truces. The men who did not fight themselves but ordered other men to, forced their subordinates to refrain from behaving peacefully. Something similar happened during the American civil war when often a shouted warning would be given the enemy that y'all need to get your heads down, because we're fixin' to start in a firin'. It may well be that in every war ever fought something similar has happened, only to be squelched and omitted from the history books. Einstein once advocated that all men of military age throughout the world refuse military service. the fact that he said this during the height of the cold war, while living in New Jersey did nothing to endear him to the American people, especially those on the right. it may well be that the problem is not so much that humans are inclined to organized violence, but that they are sheepishly inclined to obey the commands of those who hold power in their own countries, those who themselves do not engage in combat. Maybe there is hope for us after all. An although e all possess the human characteristics which lead to organized conflict on a large scale, maybe the fact that Einstein was a human being should mitigate my disdain for humanity.