NationStates Jolt Archive

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.

Well, maybe we don't want war either.

I tried the same tactic with teletubby and Barney pictures once. Wouldn't make people stop showing it to their kids... *sigh*

Well, maybe we don't want war either.

That's fine. But then you should argue against the war on its merits. Everyone already knows what war is, so we can move past that and discuss whether it's worth war to get what we war. The content of war isn't at issue.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.

Maybe the point is that their job is a)immoral and b)pointless
If you don't want to look at or accept what your own country's soldiers have done, then don't send them.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.

I suppose they hope that if you see the gruesomeness of war as seen by those who have to fight it, that maybe you'll be less inclined to support war.

Silly hippies. :p

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.You've just answered your own question. What gives you the right to condone your government's sending people into a situation that you can't even look at pictures of, let alone participate in? It just stinks of some sort of NIMBY syndrome.

Liasia']Maybe the point is that their job is a)immoral and b)pointless
If you don't want to look at or accept what your own country's soldiers have done, then don't send them.

I don't want to look at what surgeons do, but I will gladly have a life-saving operation done to me.

I have had one already in my life, to repair the major artery in my wrist (it had been severed by broken glass), and I kept my head turned away the entire time the hand surgeon did his work.

So unwillingness to see the results of unpleasant handiwork is not reason enough to stop doing it.

Wish I was young enough to enlist...:(

I don't want to look at what surgeons do, but I will gladly have a life-saving operation done to me.

I have had one already in my life, to repair the major artery in my wrist (it had been severed by broken glass), and I kept my head turned away the entire time the hand surgeon did his work.

So unwillingness to see the results of unpleasant handiwork is not reason enough to stop doing it.

Wish I was young enough to enlist...:(

Dude, surgeons save lives. There's something a bit different between you voluntarily undergoing an operation and some of the stuff you see on ogrish.

Liasia']Dude, surgeons save lives. There's something a bit different between you voluntarily undergoing an operation and some of the stuff you see on ogrish.

Depending on the nature of the war, soldiers save lives by removing enemy combatants. I'm sure polish jews appreciated the arrival of soldiers at the end of WWII.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.
Beats me. Liberals are messed up.

Depending on the nature of the war, soldiers save lives by removing enemy combatants. I'm sure polish jews appreciated the arrival of soldiers at the end of WWII.

...and the arrival of German soldiers at the beginning. Both armies were composed of soldiers, so saying its good to have one army to remove another doesn't really justify having and army to begin with.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.No, their job is to project their country and their fellow citizens from external aggression and armed rebellion. Most wars do not serve either of these goals and are therefore a pointless waste of life.

Liasia']...and the arrival of German soldiers at the beginning. Both armies were composed of soldiers, so saying its good to have one army to remove another doesn't really justify having and army to begin with.

I don't think anybody is arguing that war is a good thing. But you can't always gaurantee that somebody else is going to be peaceful. Or would you stop the Nazi's with a Carebear stare?

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.
because the pictures are shocking. the abstract knowledge is quite different from seeing it and incredibly different from living through it.

I don't think anybody is arguing that war is a good thing. But you can't always gaurantee that somebody else is going to be peaceful. Or would you stop the Nazi's with a Carebear stare?

You know i'm not going to argue against fighting the Nazis. It just seems that even in a war which is morally 'justified' there are a number of actions by soldiers which are questionable at best. I'm thinking the levelling of Hamburg, major German cities, and the razing of many Japanese towns.

Liasia']Dude, surgeons save lives. There's something a bit different between you voluntarily undergoing an operation and some of the stuff you see on ogrish.

That's the wrong analogy. The point is that just because something is unpleasant to witness doesn't mean it's something you don't want to have done.

Liasia']Maybe the point is that their job is a)immoral and b)pointless.

And maybe it is, but then argue that. Telling us that they're killing people and blowing stuff up isn't news, and it should be news to anyone. Anyone who supports the war LIKES that they're killing people and blowing stuff up.

No, their job is to project their country and their fellow citizens from external aggression and armed rebellion.

By killing people and blowing stuff up.

That's the wrong analogy. The point is that just because something is unpleasant to witness doesn't mean it's something you don't want to have done.

And sometimes something is unpleasant to witness and you don't want it done. How many people would have accepted the Iraq war if they'd know the real reasons for it, or seen the suffering it would cause?

And maybe it is, but then argue that. Telling us that they're killing people and blowing stuff up isn't news, and it should be news to anyone. Anyone who supports the war LIKES that they're killing people and blowing stuff up.

Just to point out, i wasn't the OP. And i was arguing that.

Liasia']You know i'm not going to argue against fighting the Nazis. It just seems that even in a war which is morally 'justified' there are a number of actions by soldiers which are questionable at best. I'm thinking the levelling of Hamburg, major German cities, and the razing of many Japanese towns.

Of course such actions should be criticised. But soldiers do a necessary job, and sometimes it's not a pretty sight. The surgeon analogy is a good one. Saying that if there were no armies in the first place is kind of like saying that we wouldn't need surgeons if people would just stop getting sick.

I won't argue with you that war is ugly, and unnecessary business.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us?
Because you know that "war involves killing people" doesn't mean that you know what war is. The pictures show you the reality of war, the consequences of war. It serves as a wake-up call, if you will. This is what the troops are doing. This is what is happening to the troops. This is what is happening to the civilians, men, women and children alike. This is the cost of war.

War involves people.

The pictures also serve as an argument in the debate of the merits of the war. Is this a price you are willing to pay for the goal you're trying to achieve?

Everyone doesn't know what war is. Not really.

Because you know that "war involves killing people" doesn't mean that you know what war is. The pictures show you the reality of war, the consequences of war. It serves as a wake-up call, if you will. This is what the troops are doing. This is what is happening to the troops. This is what is happening to the civilians, men, women and children alike. This is the cost of war.

War involves people.

No way! What else would war involve besides people?

I still don't find pictures of people strewn about the landscape very surprising. War involves lots of explosives. I expect that, and I don't know why other people don't.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.

Our soldiers kill people, and they blow stuff up. That's their job.
Maybe some people who are apathetic about wars, or even supportive of them, are not aware of how gory war is, and will be swayed by pictures of burned children.

Same tactic for anti-abortion protests. In fact I think that there is a fair bit of overlap between the two movements, hence the similar tactics.

Maybe some people who are apathetic about wars, or even supportive of them, are not aware of how gory war is, and will be swayed by pictures of burned children.

Same tactic for anti-abortion protests. In fact I think that there is a fair bit of overlap between the two movements, hence the similar tactics.

That's not fair. The use of those pictures by the anti-abortion people is unjustified and illogical (as the pictures they use are of a foetus of an age which is very rarely aborted). The use of pictures of war to discourage war is reasonable. Shame it isnt more effective.

Maybe some people who are apathetic about wars, or even supportive of them, are not aware of how gory war is, and will be swayed by pictures of burned children.

Same tactic for anti-abortion protests. In fact I think that there is a fair bit of overlap between the two movements, hence the similar tactics.

We already know that innocent people do die in wars, intentionally and accidentally. Think we don't know that? Phsshhaw. And our guys will lose some good guys in the fight.

But what needs to be done today must and cannot be put off until tommorow. Then my children will have to do the job I should have done today.

War is very innefficient. Only thing more efficient is nuclear war.

No way! What else would war involve besides people?
I don't know, money, equipment, statistics...
As of may 15th, 2 415 american soldiers have died in Iraq. More than 35 000 Iraqi civilians have died. Look at those numbers. They mean little by themselves. Pure statistics.

Now go look at the faces (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/) of the american soldiers. See pictures of a dead or injured Iraqi child. See that they are more than just numbers and statistics, they are people.

It seems to be easy for many people to forget that there are actual people who are fighting, getting hurt and dying.

I don't know, money, equipment, statistics...
As of may 15th, 2 415 american soldiers have died in Iraq. More than 35 000 Iraqi civilians have died. Look at those numbers. They mean little by themselves. Pure statistics.

Now go look at the faces (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/) of the american soldiers. See pictures of a dead or injured Iraqi child. See that they are more than just numbers and statistics, they are people.

It seems to be easy for many people to forget that there are actual people who are fighting, getting hurt and dying.

Those who have died are certainly not lost on myself. The 2400 americans who have fought and died in Iraq are my countrymen. People like Keven W., who was my buddy and was apart of my collegian. If my name is added to the 2400, so be it.

Those who have died are certainly not lost on myself. The 2400 americans who have fought and died in Iraq are my countrymen. People like Keven W., who was my buddy and was apart of my collegian. If my name is added to the 2400, so be it.

*marches towards the enemy blindly and unquestioningly*

Liasia']*marches towards the enemy blindly and unquestioningly*

Hah. Think I would leave my beloved homestate to go to some middle eastern country to fight enemies of the US without a good reason? No coercion here. Or submissiveness, hardly.

(Heck, I'd fight enemies of the US without a good reason)

People use gruesome pictures because they want to manipulate your emotions.

Plain and simple.

War involves killing people and blowing stuff up. That's what war is.No...

War is a heavily latin-influenced funk rock band (originally with an almost completely african-american line-up) who hit the scene in the early seventies backing Eric Burden. They still tour... although the only original member is Lonnie Jordan who co-wrote most of their songs including the iconic "Lowrider".

Wow!
Llewdor, let me get this straight...
In essence you are asking why broadcasters/publishers engaged in extracting a profit through the broadcasting/publication and/or dissemination of predominately visual (or visual orientated) materials would be broadcasting or publishing visual materials....

I'm stunned!:confused:

So why do anti-war folks insist on showing us pictures of these very things in an attempt to shock us? Sure, the pictures are gross and I don't want to look at them, but is anyone honestly surprised that this is what happens in war.Never understimate the stupidity of the "average voter". There is a lot of things that I'd consider common sense, common knowledge or otherwise that just isn't common.

People use gruesome pictures because they want to manipulate your emotions.

Plain and simple.

Then I want them to admit that. They're not trying to make a reasoned argument, because they're not presenting new information.

Hah. Think I would leave my beloved homestate to go to some middle eastern country to fight enemies of the US without a good reason? No coercion here. Or submissiveness, hardly.

(Heck, I'd fight enemies of the US without a good reason)

So what is your good reason for going to say, Iraq?

I have no problem with anti-war people showing pictures of war in all its "glory". As long as we can also show pictures of dictators marching their subjects into gas chamers, or killing people on idle whims.

War is hell, and it should not be done lightly, but there are times when it's neccesary.