Why Violence Solves Problems

Most rational people believe that we can reason through even the most difficult of situations, and before I get too carried away, I think they're right. If everyone was rational, we would be able to have a round-table democratic discussion about how to solve our problems.

However, such is not the case. A very very large portion of the world's population is indeed not rational. In fact, their ability to orderly thought is so impeded that their frustrations quickly give way to violence. I mean, seriously, when something's not going your way, your first instinct is to beat the snot out of the problem then, right?

The problem starts when good, law-abiding, decent people come in conflict with said violenteers. While good people are more than willing to sit and talk things through, the other party will only listen to the extent that their incredibly short patience will allow... and then its out with the cannons.

Violence, it seems, is the only effective means at dealing with people who only know violence. Trying to talk calmly to a man who is waving a hand-cannon in the air is only cause to get shot, so many believe that the only other alternative is to shoot him yourself. And thus, problem solved, right?

Sadly, if it gets to the point where somebody believe that violence is the only way out, then the conflict is likely already too far gone. The problem has already reached its climax when people throw the gloves off and prepare for a scuffle, because at that point, there is almost absolutely no point in talking things through.

So how does this make things work? By removing one of the parties that is causing the conflict, the conflict is ended. We see it in school-yards, on the streets, in law, and on the international stage. War is fought to remove one aspect of the equation.

This does not end conflict though. It just ends the conflict. In order for the world to continue surviving, nations, and people have to embrace the fact that beating the snot out of the problem doesn't work. Pretty soon, there'll only be one kid left on the playground, one car left on the street, one person left in court, and one nation left on the map.

Thinking and talking not only kills less people than guns and brass knuckles, it's also a helluva lot cheaper.

I speak this lesson, but that doesn't mean I'm the model to follow for it.