The Only Wisdom in War

It is said by some of the wisest sages that the world is fine the way it is, that it can't be improved, that all our efforts to improve life on Earth are futile because the idea of good and evil is relative to the observer.  Evil is all around us.  There is literally no person on Earth who isn't seen as evil in the eyes of someone else. 

When I read stories about Hitler's Germany, people with disabilities, tragedies like 9/11, totalitarian nightmares, etc., I can't help but disagree.  Morality may be relative, but there must be a golden mean of what is considered good, otherwise we wouldn't have created laws to keep civilization running.  Without law and order all you have is anarchy, a condition that benefits the strong and deceitful. 

You can choose to participate in the game of making the world the way you want it.  You will run into roadblocks, face pressure from the opposition, get rejected and offended- all the other things that lead assertive people down the road of self-righteous suffering.  Or you can be like them, above all conflict, safe in their inner peace, content with the way things are.     

The only wisdom in war is that it can be used to serve our ideas of justice, even if they differ from the people we disagree with.  Of course, verbal war is a far more effective strategy.  Physical war should be avoided at all costs unless the opponent attacks first.  The only point I'm making is that sometimes war is necessary.  Sometimes there isn't a choice.  I think a truly wise person would realize the value he or she brings to the world, pick a side that benefits the greatest number of people, make a judgment for God's sake (no pun intended).  Face adversity bravely, do what they can to improve things, live as long as they can to spread as much peace, joy, and goodness as they can.  Those who do nothing in the face of annihilation do not recognize their value, or at least do not believe their words can spread goodness.  They have given up.  Life is only a passing dream for them. 

Sometimes doing the wise thing isn't the right thing.  Doing nothing in the face of evil is tantamount to accepting it.  Acceptance is fine but doing nothing isn't.  We must keep creating laws to fight all the injustice put in front of us by evil forces.  I believe in justice, that divine virtue.  I choose to participate in the game.  Yoda, Gandalf, and Albus Dumbledore did- some of the wisest people in fiction.  Why shouldn't we?