Luck, Wisconsin
Throughout history people have reflected on the effects of war and peace.
A few of those people are: Henry Ford, Adolf Hitler, and Ben Herbster. Each
of them has a different perspective on that issue.
Someone once said, łTo preserve peace, we need weapons of smaller and men of larger
caliber. To preserve peace, people need to take responsibility for their actions.
Men of larger caliber means respectable, dependable people. People
need to be willing to admit when they are wrong and should never resort to weapons.
Weapons are a shield from dealing with the reality of a given situation.
I believe that the author is right; people are generally too willing to use weapons as the answer to problems. If people were more concerned about
peace and the repercussions of their actions, they would be more careful with
weapons. After the attacks on the United States on September 11, the
United States tried to compromise with the enemy before retaliating with bombs.
The purpose of weapons is to take life. Death is not a
solution to preserving peace; diplomacy and compromise are solutions for
preserving peace.
In 1928 Henry Ford said, łPeople are becoming too intelligent ever to have another big war. Statesmen have not anything like the prestige they had
years ago, and what is educating the ordinary people against war is that they
are mixing so much. The motor-car, radio, and such things are the Śmixersą...
I believe the last war was too much an educator for there ever to be another on
a large scale.˛
Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan. He is known for creating the assembly line and establishing the Ford Motor Company. He was
president of the company for many years.
Ford was saying that since people were becoming less segregated, they would have fewer differences to fight about. He believed that World
War I taught the world a lesson it would never forget. People were discovering
alternative ways to handle conflicts.
At the time Ford made this statement, he believed what he said to be true. However, if it had been fifteen years later, he never would have said what he
did. World War II was just around the corner. I think that there
will always be the possibility of another big war. People have yet to learn how else
to deal with conflicts. Although people are intelligent enough to
solve conflicts without war, they will always feel the need to have complete victory over the
opposing side. It is a victory which only war can bring.
Adolf Hitler believed that łThe one means that wins the easiest victory
over reason: terror/and force.˛ Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany
during World War II. He formed concentration camps for the incarceration
and mass murder of Jews, Gypsies, and political opponents. Through
much of the war he was successful, but after the Allied forces invaded
Germany, he committed suicide.
Terror and force can cause people to commit acts that they wouldnąt normally commit. When an enemy instills terror into the people
they're attacking, the people become so scared that all reason leaves them. They
will fall victim to the attacker, allowing themselves to be taken over. Hitler
believed that by instilling fear in everyone who didnąt conform to him, he
would be able to more easily conquer Europe.
I think that although many people can be taken over by force and fear, there will always be some who follow their beliefs no matter what, some who
will stand up to the oppressor. When Osama bin Laden executed the
attacks on the United States on September 11, he was trying to instill terror in
the American people. Contrary to his wishes, America united,
becoming a stronger and more determined nation. Each victory is won by different
means. A war is not won by a single means but by a multitude of mistakes on the
opposing side.
Ben Herbster's personal opinion was that łThe greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become. Dr. Ben Herbster founded the United Church of Christ. He was a
chairman of several campaigns for United Church Homesą Communities. He volunteered many hours to the service of the elderly.
People don't live up to their potential. They reach a certain point in
their lives when they feel that they've done enough, and they don't try to see how
much farther they could go, how much stronger they could be, how much more they could learn. If people achieved as much as they could in life,
what they are and what they could become would be the same accomplishment.
I agree that in general people donąt put as much effort into life as they could. If people put full effort into everything, the world would be a
much more incredible place. However, there will always be the people who do not
want to go the distance, who are satisfied with not knowing everything that is
in their grasp. Ignorance is the greatest waste in the world.
War and peace have been a very prominent topic throughout history. Many important people have discussed its effects. A few of those people
are:Henry Ford, Adolf Hitler, and Ben Herbster.
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