I can not comprehend anyone who has ever expeienced war to consider it as being a choice. Sometimes I think too many people have watched one too many, old John Wayne movies.
War is not a contest. It is not fun. It is a time to see your best friends and family members die, in the most horrible manners imanginable. It should never be seen as a chance for glory. The opportunity to become a combatant, should not be sought for. True warriors are those who will do all they can to eliminate the need for war. Glory is not in the killing of the enemy, it is in the preservation of lives and truth, with the least number of casualties possible.
It is a last resort effort and is only justified when it is necessary for preservation and all other means have failed.
For those that have never seen the destructive power of nuclear devices, here is a video from the early 1950's. The camera is mounted nearly 10 miles from the blast. You will not see the actual blast, as that is the blinding light you initialy see. After the blast is over, and the flash diminishes you begin seeing the charecteristic mushroom cloud. The target in this test was a mock up city, built of structures made of various materials to determine how much distruction would be expected in an actual event.
Now, the device used in this early test is very primative and small by todays standards. Keep in mind the area you are viewing is over a mile across. The smoke trails you see going upward are vaporized buildings made of concrete and steel.
http://media.putfile.com/H-Bomb
EDIT: I added this link for those that can not get Putfile to open
If the Putfile link does not open for you try this link:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v359/sytall/?action=view¤t=BOOM.flv
This is the picture of what mass war fare is like. There is no place for individual troops fighting hand to hand in honor. No one would desire this fate on their enemies, much less risk it falling upon friends and family.
Yes, we do need to stand up for our rights, we must defend our faith. But, the days of physical combat are over. We need to now learn to live in battle not how to die in it. We need to learn to use reason, public support, and education as our weapons, not bullets.