Saber-Rattling

I’m not a foreign affairs expert.  However, any cursory glance at human history reveals that nations have sought for untold generations to bring peace into the world by the use of violence or the threat of violence.  Saber-rattling is defined as “a show of military power, especially when used by a nation to impose its policies on other countries.”  President Trump is doing a lot of saber-rattling, both by word and deed.  The recent US missile strike in Syria in reaction to the use of sarin gas on the town of Idlib was an act of violence, and the deployment of a US Navy Carrier Strike Group near North Korea shores is a blatant form of saber-rattling (the threat of violence).  North Korea has done its own saber-rattling in recent weeks with the test firing of ballistic missiles and aggressive and threatening rhetoric of Kim Jong-un.  Saber-rattling breeds violence and violence breeds more violence.

Violence (in whatever form) is very deceptive.  It appeases those who are in a hurry to retaliate or to demonstrate their sense of power and control.  These people believe violence is efficient and effective and that it speaks louder than mere words.  They argue that violence creates fear and at first it does.  But, it is also true that violence creates resistance.  It breeds revenge and retaliation.  Violence is very deceptive.

Why is it that we act with violence before we sit down together and talk things over?  Why is it that peace agreements and treaties are made after the wars have been fought?  I am not a foreign affairs expert, but I am aware of history and it tells the story:  violence does not beget peace!