Some may wholly disagree with this statement, believing war to be an invention of the ignorant. It involves an ignorance of conflict resolution and political debate, a total disregard for the human worth of all sides caught up in it and, ultimately, ignorance of the catastrophic physical and psychological aftermath borne by its survivors.
If she feels that war is honourable, let her offer herself as a volunteer from, in her own words, “the rudderless and weak EU”.
Michael Moore’s film ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ comes to mind in which the film-maker asked members of Congress whether any of their family were directly involved in the fighting in Iraq, to which only one answered in the affirmative.
The drug feuds in Dublin and Limerick may be a good example of how disputes escalate to war.
The argument starts with a wrongdoing committed by one faction against the other. This can be a minor altercation, such as theft, or a major incident, such as murder.
Following from this is the inevitable tit-for-tat killings which may escalate over time to the extent where neither family can remember the true reasons for the original fallout.
Eventually it is not only the families at war but also their neighbours and friends. This is the micro situation; the macro is when countries go to war.
It is exactly the same scenario: people who shouldn’t be involved find themselves in the middle of a bloodbath with no way of escaping.
Ms O’Donnell has ample experience in conflict resolution, having played a role in the Good Friday Agreement. She has vast experience in dealing with poverty and destitution and the physical and psychological damage that these problems bring to the fore.
We are fighting a universal war on poverty. Does Ms O’Donnell also advocate the slaughter of those maniacs who cause this deprivation? We are fighting a universal war on drugs. Does she urge us to wipe out the drug smugglers?
The solution to the problem may lie with those who are closest to the conflict.
In Syria, it is the Syrians. In Iraq, it is the Iraqis. Certainly, the atrocities in Syria are inhumane and one cannot accept the plight of their refugees, but war is not a solution.
Letter to the editor of the Irish Independent published the 04-09-2013, in reply
to Liz O’Donnell’s “sometimes war is the honourable thing to do“
