. . . Nearly a century ago, Europe and its surrounding nations, both physically nearby and philosophically so, fought what was then known as The Great War. This war had many other names and is now called World War I. One of its many names that is perhaps worth a greater notice, though, was 'The War to End All Wars'. In a way, this is a very appropriate name, despite the fact that it did not end war, but in fact can be said with reasonable confidence to have started the next, much more deadly war. For, World War I, on leaving the nations that it had so brutally torn, took away with it the very cause of so many European wars before it. With regard, at least, to Euopean nations, the glory of fighting for one's country was gone.
. . . While everyone feels some pride in their country, especially those of us living in the United States, people fight wars, now, for moral or economic reasons. Nations go to war, now, not for any glory of battle but because they have to, because a certain goal needs to be met. Certainly this is not entirely true, and as always there are exceptions, but the world in general does not come close to what it was only a few centuries ago, so far as warfare. Perhaps it is not nationalism that has died, but simply honor, nobility, the glory of battle. There is not much art or romance in pulling a trigger when compared to the graceful swords and castles of our further, often idealized, past.
. . . It is just that past, though, that comes to my mind as I listen or work on either of the two pieces that have sprung from me when I considered war. I have lived as a part of a group that was born only just after vietnam, whose parents did not talk of war, whose only experience with war is the detached affairs of Desert Storm or the already seemingly usual affairs in the Balkans. We were part of a generation, or part of several even, born of Dungeons & Dragons, children who grew up playing video games where the idea was to blow as many things up as possible. Some of us, at least, were the heroes when the enemy was driven from the noble castle at Fabul and felt an agony when Damcyan was bombed. What these places are does not matter, but that we felt as we did sets us apart from generations before us. While the pain was very real for those civilians who were casualties of the wars in the second half of this century, it has come to be expected that no targets are out of the question. The difference is that by whatever picture of war has been painted for us, we feel an outrage on seeing a peaceful town destroyed because it was the sole source of metals. We feel pride and honor after having successfully defeated the enemy, who is of course wrong. All this without a word of government propaganda.
. . . Of course, not everyone plays video games. On the whole, not too many read the books that paint this picture. Most people get, very likely, little if any of this that I speak of, but the idea is there, and it was given to us when we were children. And when the Uncle Sam needs a few good men, will we remember the pain of war from our history classes or will we remember the glory we earned as little children by beating the bad guys, once and for all...