"I'd defend my country at the border but nothing more." If you had been a young ...

nick_riviera · on July 26, 2014

Actually I'm half German and half English so that's a bit of a hard one to answer isn't it?

Do I support Europe or do I avoid getting my family killed by the German authorities for refusing to fight the other half?

War is ugly. Everyone refusing to fight is the only answer.

chrisseaton · on July 26, 2014

Yeah it would be great if nobody agreed to commit any violence ever.

But until that point, it's nice to have some soldiers on our side who can liberate your country if the other side does decide to fight, or special forces to rescue you if you get kidnapped in a failed state by some people who decide to fight. And let's hope they're intelligent, disciplined, responsible and care about your life.

fennecfoxen · on July 27, 2014

Ah. So you're saying that in practice there is no answer.

mpyne · on July 27, 2014

Orwell's answer to this is interesting, for those who haven't read it.

sitkack · on July 27, 2014

Orwell is one of the most self reflective and critical thinkers I have ever come across. It would appear as if he had almost no ego. Our own Spock.

TheOtherHobbes · on July 27, 2014

Everyone involved in WW2 could do worse than research who funded Hitler, and why.

WW2 wouldn't have happened without that funding.