silber@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (12/06/85)
Replace this line with an exact duplicate Just a short observation on two common misconceptions of the reasons for inter- national conflict. 1. Countries go to war because of hatred (true), and if no one hated people in another country, we wouldn't have war This is factually incorrect. War, and other forms of international conflict, arise out of the mutually incompatible goals and actions of countries. Popular music not withstanding, hatred is usually caused by war, and is not often a cause. The U.S. did not enter WWI because we hated the Germans, on the contrary, there was popular pressure to intervene on behalf of the Germans, and after we entered, the government of the U.S. (similar to the British earlier) embarked on a campaign to foster anti-German feeling. 2. War is caused by misunderstandings (true), and if only everyone understood each other, we wouldn't have war. This is also incorrect. As pointed out above, war is caused by the perception of mutually incompatible goals, hence a misunderstanding can give rise to a war, but a lack of misunderstanding does not ensure peace. Just because I understand someone doesn't mean that I will be concerned about his human rights or appreciate him sufficiently to refrain from harming him. During the eighteenth century, the European nations were often involved in war. Most of the monarchs were cousins, and most got along well socially. Everyone knew why the monarchs acted the way they did (ex. to place someone favorable to them on a vacant throne) and almost exactly what the goals of each country were. Even the common soldiers seemed not to hate the enemy, especially since ten years from now he could be an ally. Since these were not total wars (ala this century) and the monarchs were not beholden to an electorate, there was no incentive to foment popular opinion against the enemy. The twentieth century is not the eighteenth, but I certainly belive that while international tensions may be reduced by increased understanding of the Soviets (for example), that is not a panacea. If both we and the Soviets had a fuller knowledge of each others true purposes, desires and intentions, there would less chance of an accidental war (one in which one defends a concern which was not in danger or one in which one provokes an unexpectedly strong response) but basic differences would still remain. Ami Silberman