Comment on Orwell’s 1984. Not my words, but they pretty much sum up what you said.
“The objective is not to win the war, but to maintain a constant state of war in order to keep its citizens under control. When it is at war with Eastasia, the government declares that it has always been at war with Eastasia, that its people are an eternally hated enemy that must be destroyed. When the sides change, the same thing is said about Eurasia. It is considered every patriotic citizen’s duty to believe both statements are true.”
I like that. If you and I went to Ukraine and hung out with some Ukrainians, then went to Russia and hung out with some Russians, we’d wonder that these people are a hair’s breadth from shooting each other. We wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in their likes, dislikes, religion, or even language. I think, even in the Middle East, our similarities would be more than our differences. But look at what’s happening. Governments are getting people to kill each other.