Normalising the word WAR. Really?

The Downs - by CSThomas

Dear One,

I felt compelled to record a few thoughts about war and how this terrible word has become normalized in everyday conversation.

It seems to me that a combination of factors has led to people speaking about war so casually—discussing it lightly over a hamburger and a glass of beer. In my podcast, I’ve only touched on a small aspect of this issue. Another key reason, I believe, is that people don’t read anymore—at least, not the classics.

Classics have a unique way of portraying life in all its brutality, with vivid descriptions that make you feel as though you are witnessing those moments firsthand. Once you read them, the images stay with you. A movie cannot evoke the same depth.

I wanted to share with you a few passages where war is described in a way that lingers in the mind—powerful, unforgettable depictions of its true nature.

Here are a few paragraphs about what war does to the people, places, land, souls.

"Yes, those are the same streets, the same houses with familiar porches and signboards, but they are dead. Everything is deserted, ravaged, burnt down; everything speaks of the dominion of Death. The high barricades of corpses, the pools of blood, the fragments of human flesh and bones, the groans of the dying—all tell of the hellish nature of war. And when you see all this, you are seized with fear, horror, disgust, and an uncontrollable desire to flee from this terrible reality. But where? What place on earth is free from the cruelty of man?" - Leo Tolstoy - Sebastopol in December

"In the midst of that field, littered with corpses, the wounded writhed in agony, their moans drowned out by the roar of cannons. Smoke hung heavy in the air, and the ground, trampled by thousands of feet, was soaked in blood. And yet, in this chaos, men still pressed forward, driven not by reason, but by some incomprehensible force, killing one another without knowing why. There was no glory here—only suffering, only death. The victors and the vanquished lay side by side, equal in the face of fate. And in the heart of it all, Napoleon, standing atop a hill, gazed upon the battlefield with satisfaction, as though surveying a chessboard. He did not hear the dying cries, nor did he see the tears of those who would mourn the dead. To him, it was merely a movement of troops, a strategy, a victory. But to those who fought, it was the end of everything." - Leo Tolstoy - War and peace

Until next time, be well!

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