“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” -Plato
For my first War Diary I decided to watch a random well-known war movie on YouTube in the efforts to gain a little insist on war and how my personal bias contributes to my experience of watching war films. First and for most I should state what my personal bias is and that is that I am completely and utterly against war. I feel that it only leads to more destruction, suffering, and inconclusive; also I find it to be a selfish act due to it causing so much damage to a greater whole that is not involved in the dispute, such as the fall of the protection and good of the people of that country that war is being brought upon, the children, the natural comfort of people and their supplies are also effected. It’s effected by the blinded illusion of masculine pride in power and violence in order to proclaim victory and forward moving, where as I see it as moving backwards and spreading despair to all under the control of the men who get hotheaded by matters of the world. At times I find it justifiable to go to war for the reason to help another country out of a bad situation of being under the harsh control of a Warlord or something of that sort but then at other times I find it to be unnecessary. At times I find the U.S. intervention or any countries intervention just a move to “prove a point of power,” a trait often lead by the male ego which is apparently in many areas of this man made world we live in today.
With that being said I took the time to watch the film “Black Hawk Down” which gives the story of a true event in Africa with the Battle of Mogadishu with the effort of U.S. soldier’s efforts to capture Somali Warlord Mohammad Farrah Aidid. This movie carries a lot of well know faces and really brings out familiar battle grounds as portrayed in many well-known video games such as Call of Duty. I realized throughout watching Black Hawk Down during the actual scenes of the battle and when the soldiers are in their base, when speaking about the mission at hand, that many of the military jargon became familiar to me with playing games such as Call of Duty. Not only that but I became familiar with many of the weapons used by both the U.S. soldiers and the enemies at hand. I must make it clear that I have never been a fan of watching movies about war just for the simple fact that they all have the same appealingly tragic story line. Getting to know the humane attributes and personalities of some great men, them being called out into a mission of which they have high hopes for accomplishing with no issues, and witnessing all hell break loose. I have never been fond of these war films that try to redeem the bloodshed and gruesome shots of bodies blowing up, with well-balanced victories of the task being done presented more effectively with heroic instrumentals in the background to cue us into the “Patriotic” feel. To me, at the end of it all, though it does send a sense of accomplishment for the tremendous sacrifice I still think of the realities of the soldiers lost. The homes that are destroyed by rocket-propelled grenades and endless masquerade of men and children shooting in order to defend their beliefs in warlords who choose to instill power through suffering. Countless dedications to strangers who’s faces are only know to those who knew and have seen them can only do so much for the pain inflicted by these families who have to live without them: mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.
I have also realized a bit how war has indirectly, directly affected me. Because even I how knows nothing of the military nor the actual rhetoric of war know SOMETHING due to how many channels are used to poison the mind with its teachings either way. And though I hate war and what it does to the world, I would be lying if I didn’t admit my liking of playing games that allow me to kill enemies who shoot at me as I try to fulfill made up missions. Now, that’s a thought. A thought that scares me into the realization that whether I like it or not I am, by some means, constantly surrounded by the effects of war. Our tax money finances this art, our children are playing these games, our days (Veteran’s Day) are affected, entertainment, almost anywhere you go there is a dedication to veteran’s and G.I. Joe dolls are still famously sold in stores. There is no avoiding it because they have made it a part of our lives whether we protest against it or for it.
As spoken by the words of Plato, the only day we will see the end of war is when we ourselves perish.