[Iris7]

"King Philip's War" has become an icon of political correctness in American historiography.

"Political Correctness" requires "War is Wrong", whatever that means. As Clausewitz pointed out, war is normal politics, everyday life, where the killing gets organized. Wholesale instead of retail, sort of.

The cutting of the Gordian Knot by Alexander is a metaphor of this, that politics becomes so tangled and intractable that the sword is the only answer.

As Douglas MacArthur quoted Plato (can't find the quote myself) "Only the dead have seen the last of war."

Churchill said that "Jaw, Jaw, is better than War, War." Well, sure, as long as you are the one getting what you want.

Really, war is just everyday life. Nothing more human, or cat like, dog like, cow like, bird like, etc., etc., than to seek to dominate others of your kind. Nothing more human, etc., etc., than to resent others attempting to dominate you. Politics. Humans just have a more abstract language than the rest of the critters.

[PhilDragoo]

There seems to be as much mystery over attributing "Only the dead have seen the end of war" to Plato as there has been "I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" to Yamamoto.

In the former instance the attribution may end with MacArthur or with Santayana. In the latter, with Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

The MacArthur address is available in text and mp3 at General Douglas MacArthur: Thayer Award Acceptance Address.

Clausewitz said "war is a continuation of politics (politik) by other means".

WAR AND POLITICS: THE REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS AND THE CONTINUED RELEVANCE OF CLAUSEWITZ

[SAMWolf]

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get along?

IMHO, it's just not nature, human or any other, no matter how much the Libs would like it to be otherwise. Utopia will not exist in life.