First, one should not forget that man is making war since he has been on the planet, which can be explained by human's seeking glory and aiming at power. We also have to make it clear that war has never broken out on people's purpose, but only heads of States' who find the words and convincing arguments to explain that war is needed for the country's surviving.
To a certain extent, everyone of us has a latent aggressivity which finds an opening prospect socially accepted in war, according to a Freud's quotation.
Then, what I find more humanly unbearable is children involved in war. We have noticed that there have always been children in wars. Nevertheless, I cannot help doubting whether all children who are fighting want to do it. Sometimes, they are forced to enlist. They are good soldiers for being obedient, easily influenced and for being capable of taking rash risks. In short, they are cheap cannon fodder, since they need neither a lot of money, nor a lot of food. Their desire of identification with adults, for better or for worse, makes them easy preys for armed groups, moreover considering that they do not think about meeting again their wives or their children.
Anyway, children can find a ludic aspect in war. Fighting with machine guns is a game for most of them, which is a reason why they do not mind fighting.
Besides, nowadays, light weapons are easily used by young children, since just one pressure on the trigger is needed to dispatch a hail of bullets... This is an exciting game for a kid!
Nonetheless, the longer the war lasts, the more people are needed to stand for the wounded or killed. Then, the heads use children. We can remember the historic example of Hitler's youth at the end of the Second World War.
To go back to those children in wars, they are indoctrinated thanks to threats. The armed groups kidnap them in streets, towns or schools they attack. Thus, children become soldiers by dint of ill-treatments and roughness. On top of that, in order to compel them to fight, they are given drugs or alcohol. They are ill-treated if they refuse to obey. For instance, a desertion attempt can be punished by incarcerations or even summary executions. That was the case in countries like Liberia, Uganda or Sierra Leone.
Fear, hatred and violence have put their childhood on fire. Poverty and barbed wires have scattered their lives*(1).
However, kids happen sometimes to throw themselves in war: some of them to feed, others to find a family, incidentally to avenge their killed families.
In all these cases, children have been choked by life yet. Indeed, they enlist as they have nowhere else to go, they were born in the very middle of the battles, therefore nothing is more natural for them but die at war.
As we have said, they are looking for homes, food or relatives, which is why they keep on thinking that they will find security in armies, since those who have a gun have something to eat.
As well, army exercises a power of fascination over children, and the glamour of the uniform persists above all over young boys who believe asserting their manliness when wearing it.
However, the pillage and easy money perspectives are not to be left aside, considering that most of the time, children are angry, desperate and full of hatred. To some degree, this engagement gives a purpose to their lives, a purpose of which, unfortunately, they never weigh up the consequences.
Often, those children are orphans or refugees, coming from the most underprivileged sections of the population, and eventually living in conflict zones: used to fightings and to growing in a daily war scenery.
As for me, when a child disappears, the world loses the hope that future will be ours*(2). Besides, war leaves lasting tracks on children's minds: they are psychologically scared and physically injured. After that, I wonder if happiness exists and on what hell it can be fed*(3).
Eventually, what Testament, what Gospel, what blind or silly hand is able to sentence so much innocence to so many tears and pain?*(4)
TRANSLATED FROM THE SONG "Pour les enfants du monde entier" BY YVES DUTEIL :
*(1) :" La peur, la haine et la violence ont mis le feu à leur enfance, leurs chemins se sont hérissés de misère et de barbelés"
*(2) : "A chaque enfant qui disparaît, c'est l'univers qui tire un trait sur un espoir pour l'avenir d'un jour nous appartenir"
*(3) : "Si le bonheur est à ce prix, de quel enfer s'est-il nourri ?"
*(4) : "Quel Testament, quelle Evangile, quelle main aveugle ou imbécile peut condamner tant d'innocence à tant de larmes et de souffrance ?"
To a certain extent, everyone of us has a latent aggressivity which finds an opening prospect socially accepted in war, according to a Freud's quotation.
Then, what I find more humanly unbearable is children involved in war. We have noticed that there have always been children in wars. Nevertheless, I cannot help doubting whether all children who are fighting want to do it. Sometimes, they are forced to enlist. They are good soldiers for being obedient, easily influenced and for being capable of taking rash risks. In short, they are cheap cannon fodder, since they need neither a lot of money, nor a lot of food. Their desire of identification with adults, for better or for worse, makes them easy preys for armed groups, moreover considering that they do not think about meeting again their wives or their children.
Anyway, children can find a ludic aspect in war. Fighting with machine guns is a game for most of them, which is a reason why they do not mind fighting.
Besides, nowadays, light weapons are easily used by young children, since just one pressure on the trigger is needed to dispatch a hail of bullets... This is an exciting game for a kid!
Nonetheless, the longer the war lasts, the more people are needed to stand for the wounded or killed. Then, the heads use children. We can remember the historic example of Hitler's youth at the end of the Second World War.
To go back to those children in wars, they are indoctrinated thanks to threats. The armed groups kidnap them in streets, towns or schools they attack. Thus, children become soldiers by dint of ill-treatments and roughness. On top of that, in order to compel them to fight, they are given drugs or alcohol. They are ill-treated if they refuse to obey. For instance, a desertion attempt can be punished by incarcerations or even summary executions. That was the case in countries like Liberia, Uganda or Sierra Leone.
Fear, hatred and violence have put their childhood on fire. Poverty and barbed wires have scattered their lives*(1).
However, kids happen sometimes to throw themselves in war: some of them to feed, others to find a family, incidentally to avenge their killed families.
In all these cases, children have been choked by life yet. Indeed, they enlist as they have nowhere else to go, they were born in the very middle of the battles, therefore nothing is more natural for them but die at war.
As we have said, they are looking for homes, food or relatives, which is why they keep on thinking that they will find security in armies, since those who have a gun have something to eat.
As well, army exercises a power of fascination over children, and the glamour of the uniform persists above all over young boys who believe asserting their manliness when wearing it.
However, the pillage and easy money perspectives are not to be left aside, considering that most of the time, children are angry, desperate and full of hatred. To some degree, this engagement gives a purpose to their lives, a purpose of which, unfortunately, they never weigh up the consequences.
Often, those children are orphans or refugees, coming from the most underprivileged sections of the population, and eventually living in conflict zones: used to fightings and to growing in a daily war scenery.
As for me, when a child disappears, the world loses the hope that future will be ours*(2). Besides, war leaves lasting tracks on children's minds: they are psychologically scared and physically injured. After that, I wonder if happiness exists and on what hell it can be fed*(3).
Eventually, what Testament, what Gospel, what blind or silly hand is able to sentence so much innocence to so many tears and pain?*(4)
TRANSLATED FROM THE SONG "Pour les enfants du monde entier" BY YVES DUTEIL :
*(1) :" La peur, la haine et la violence ont mis le feu à leur enfance, leurs chemins se sont hérissés de misère et de barbelés"
*(2) : "A chaque enfant qui disparaît, c'est l'univers qui tire un trait sur un espoir pour l'avenir d'un jour nous appartenir"
*(3) : "Si le bonheur est à ce prix, de quel enfer s'est-il nourri ?"
*(4) : "Quel Testament, quelle Evangile, quelle main aveugle ou imbécile peut condamner tant d'innocence à tant de larmes et de souffrance ?"
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