Twenty First Century: A New Kind of War
Paul Virilio, a French thinker who abandoned sociology in favor if war was interviewed by Sylvere Lotringer. In the course of the interview, the two parties talked about the evolution of politics and the effects thereof to mankind and the world. Virilio, a victim of war since he was ten years old, became interested in the topic since his city, Nantes was destroyed. The event created such a big impact on him that it aroused him to delve deeper into the intricacies of war (The Space of War). According to Virilio, there are many kinds of war, however, there is only one war which affects the whole world and that is space war.
If one grazes on the materials that are present in different countries, one would realize that there is indeed space war. Based on the ideas of Virilio, war is both space and myth it spreads from one place to another. Everywhere in the world, the evidence of the people’s eng0agement in war is seen. Among these pieces of evidence are sub-marines, anti-air craft shelters and block houses among others. These are the defense mechanisms utilized by a certain community in order to protect itself from the invasion of outside sources.
Many contend that by maintaining these war elements in the society, other people or communities or government for that matter are more enticed to engage in war and launch attacks against a specific territory. However, contrary to this belief, Virilio said that the maintenance of these defense systems and the development of communities to cities and governments is not the true source of war. There is deeper reason for war and that is the improvement of a territories economic standing. People enter in to war in order to rule over a wider territory and generate greater funds.
In so doing, governments develop certain tactics which will help them in pursuing and eventually winning the war. The tactic that Virilio speak of is logistics or the economy of war. Through the employment of proper logistics, a country or government can win a war and gain additional territory. Among the war time men who employed logistics successfully is Eisenhower. He is a man of war discourse and he was able to pursue his visions of expansion for America through the use of language. Through the employment of the proper words at the right time, there is big possibility that a war may succeed.
It should be taken note that war is not simply an aggression among states or communities, it is more than that. War is a combination of many factors and the prominent parts of which are language, establishing good relations with allies and adequate funding. If the right strings are pulled, there is money in war. These funding could benefit the territory during and after the war. During the war, it serves as the resource for weapons and support of allies; after the war, it serves as the fruit of a well planned and well fought war.
It could also serve as the starting resource for the rehabilitation of the territory and the start of a new leadership or regime. The ultimate effect of war is the achievement of power. More often than not, military men play a significant role in history. They do not only lead wars and battles; they also serve as rulers of specific countries and territories. The power generated is be all and the end all of war. It is the culmination of everything that was contributed and everything in the society revolves on such power. Virilio bases his opposition to war on this power.
He said that he is not against military men because they are no different from ordinary men. What he is against of is the effects of the war on technology, the people, the society at large, and the economy. War has created this world into a big battle ground. The technology and innovations that are being introduced to the world as well as the way the people think are all offshoots of war. This is not supposed to be the case. War should not bring negative change to the people instead it should make them shift their way of thinking to the positive side.
People should learn from war and devise ways in order to prevent or avoid it. War experience should not make the people more adamant to its happening or realization. Before everything is ruined, man should start realizing that engaging creating the latest weapon or military gadget is not the solution to war; it is just the beginning. In order to end war, there is a need to lower the speed of technology and the development of war armaments and mechanisms. If these objects are eliminated, there is a possibility that war will become extinct and the people would begin to feel safe and secure in their own communities.
The problem in the present age is the use of new technologies in order to launch a greater war. People and government use war measures and equipments in order to control other people and their movements. More than a battle ground for life, the world has become a battleground for the realization of and respect of basic rights. Technology has may possible the concealment of equipments used to monitor the movements of people. They have been devised in such a clever manner that they could fit in to any type of architecture that man builds.
The convenience of using or utilizing these equipments make it utterly difficult to move on and attain progress in the manner that you wish to. Somehow this world has become just like a house wherein there are hidden cameras everywhere and every wrong move matters to the one who is looking behind those equipment. In the article, Seeing through Walls: The Split and Sovereign and the One-Way Mirror (Weiman), the author talked about how the Palestinians are being watched over by Israeli officials. The said officials are monitoring the acts of the Palestinians crossing the passageway through the security mirror.
It is a one way mirror and only the Israeli officials can directly see the Palestinians. All the while, the crossing Palestinians thought only the security forces of their government are monitoring their actions. They are made to believe that they are being subjected to one specific force although in reality there are being subjected by another more powerful source. This belief was held by the people for a certain time, however, this perception changed as a result of the military inspections undertaken while crossing the passageway.
The Palestinians, after a period of time have come to realize 5that the Israelis are taking control of them and their actions. The Israelis want to take control of the passage way in order to control the actions of other people who are using it. As long as they maintain power in the said territory, they have the capability to exert control among the people passing through it. An example of control is an incident in 2006. Humanitarian aids to the people residing in the Gaza strip were not able to receive the supplies because the limited passage was imposed by Israeli officials on the passage way.
This act led to significant health problems in the area (UN OCHA). According to the author, technology and architecture have made all these things possible. Concealed monitoring has been the trend in the world today and if it continues to remain unguarded and uncorrected, this could yield to graver consequences. Time has not actually set free man from wars and battlegrounds. Although there are less apparent wars in the world rights now, man continues to fight for his liberty and privacy.
In verge of technological advancements, different kinds of technology have sprouted like mushrooms and assisted certain groups in quietly conquering a certain people or territory.
References Gaza Strip Situation Report. 2006, March 29. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [UN OCHA]. Retrieved 10 December 2008 from, http://www. humanitarianinfo. org/opt/docs/UN/OCHA/ochaSR_Gaza290306. pdf Interview with Paul Virilio, The Space of War. Weizman, E. (n. d. ). Seeing Through Walls: The Split Sovereign and the One Way Mirror.
Sample Essay of BuyEssay.org