In these articles, I explained the meaning of economic recession. It is a part of human activities. That made me consider the purpose of war. Let’s discuss it.
Why do they wage wars?
Sometimes, we want to understand social behaviors that look unreasonable. There are many irrational interactions between communities, especially nations.
One prime example is war. People kill and destroy each other. Since humans are social animals that collaborate with others, waging war looks pointless.
However, fighting is common among living beings. It should have a meaning, even in social life.
One way to understand the meaning of war is to recognize two distinct types of it. Today, I will introduce them. They may help you stay calm and prepare rationally.
Two types of war
In my opinion, there are two kinds of war. Distinguishing them may help understand their purposes. They are as follows:
- War to become a community’s leader is a fundamental want among social animals. For example, apes often compete to become the leader of the group and fight to secure that position. Its purpose is to build its own command system and to eliminate the members of the opposing force. It causes more human losses than material damage.
- War to make other communities reassess the community’s value is a strategic conflict within social collaboration. For example, a nation that is gaining international influence can make other nations reassess its value by disconnecting from them, as I explained in the previous article (this article). However, if it continues to receive unreasonable demand even after cutting ties, it begins to show force by encroaching on those around it. Since its purpose is to show its power, it causes more material damage than human losses.
The difference
Let’s look at those examples.
The examples of the former—wars for control—are the ones happening in the current Gaza region and Sudan. They are competing for dominance. Therefore, their goal is to eliminate members of the opposing forces. That is why they have caused significant human losses.
This type of war tends to remain until a steady ruling system emerges. That is why conflicts in unsteady areas tend to last long. However, this kind of war is unlikely to spread to other regions.
On the other hand, the latter—wars for reevaluation—is a more restrained, strategic conflict, although it can spread widely.
Examples are the war in Ukraine and World War II. Even though Russia has been severing ties, Western countries demanded further concessions. In other words, Russia was asked for an unreasonably low price for their social collaborations. The disagreement over values led to that war, in my opinion.
In this type of war, human losses are limited. Both forces are targeting mainly the facilities. In other words, this kind of war is part of social collaborations, although it is destructive. Its purpose is to show strength and make the other side concede, not to kill people in the other regions.
This type of war tends to last until either side acknowledges a reassessment of values. This conflict often continues during a recession.
How to prepare
Those two types help us predict when the war will end and how to prepare for it.
In the former—wars for control—conflict will last until a stable government is established. We need to focus on the stability of the region. Prioritizing our lives over material assets, such as becoming a refugee, would be efficient. Belonging to one side and standing out can be life-threatening.
On the other hand, in the latter—wars for reevaluation—social struggles last during recession. We need to focus on the economic period. Securing more material resources than belonging to a dominant force would be more efficient. Losing material resources can be fatal.
In my opinion, if there is a war in the future, it will be the latter. Be aware that the war in the Middle East differs from the war in Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine can lead to other conflicts worldwide in the short term.
Securing material resources and local connections would help us. Informational advantage tends to be fragile during this type of war.
Conclusion
These two types of war help us to understand their purposes.
In my opinion, if there is a war in the future, it will be the latter—wars for reevaluation.
Securing material resources and local connections would help us.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
