I want to take this opportunity to look at this event, and war in general, in a new light. Far too often, nations rush into conflict, waving flags for their cause and protecting what they believe in at any cost, only to realize how much they have destroyed in the end, regardless of whether or not they vanquished their opponents. In situations like war, no one ends up winning because so much is lost in the heat of battle.
In order for a nation to go to war, so many resources must be expended. Below I have given the top ten nations in terms of military spending per capita:
As you can see, nine of the top ten spend over $1,000 per person on military expenditures. This money goes to resources to fight war, such as research and development, materials for weapons production and money to fund troops' salaries. These initial costs of war are staggering; the fact that countries are willing to pour obscene amounts of money into their military programs only spells doom for the world's natural resources.
The true tragedy of war is the end, when the casualties have been realized. One that is always among the dead is the land, ravaged by the diseases of men and riddled with bullets and shells. As technology and weaponry has become more advanced, the destruction of the land has only increased. Nuclear bombs and other powerful warheads make land uninhabitable for decades.
As is always the case, these consequences of war are often buired in a corner when a nation is considering whether or not to fight for their land. But if destruction is allowed to continue at the murderous pace of war, will nations have any land to fight for?
