''Total war brutalizes a society. It brings out bloodlust and hate. It stimulates an ugly nationalism (gussied up as patriotism) which boasts that "we'' are better than "them.'' It distorts vision, causing people to see something honorable in being slaughtered and maimed -- as long as the dead and disabled are "our guys.'' It distorts judgment too, making people think that killing strangers who have never threatened us is heroic. 
 
''War makes people say stupid things. For example, they tell members of the armed forces, "Thank you for your service to our country,'' when they aren't serving their  
country at all -- they're serving the hack politicians and bureaucrats who send them to  
war. The same soldiers are told they are fighting for "our freedom,'' when in fact the  
commander in chief they are obeying is destroying our freedom as he issues orders that  
inevitably kill innocents in foreign countries. Making enemies disserves one's country.''

Guest