Even though a country is defeated,
Its mountains and rivers remain.
And o'er the castle ruins, when it is spring,
The grass will be green again.
-- Tu Fu

War. Not much to be said for it.

There are many angry people on the Internet. You'll find them dropping insults as comments to blogs or sprinkling irrascible posts on forums - and when their keyboards fall silent, they are spreading vitriol on talkback radio.

They are testimony to the fractious spirit of humankind that sees strangers trading gestures, not understanding, or presenting backs to the unfortunate, not empathy, or nations marching idealistic youth to death while non-combatants feign ignorance of delusional leadership.

The idea that ordinary people forced to fight (too often by "civilian" cowards who lead from behind a desk) are capable of shining courage ... or dark holocaust. What has it done to our history, and to confidence in our humanity?

Or the more fearful idea that a cultural empire - deemed noble and just in the texts read to children - is found selfish, greedy, brutal, and most foully-murderous, at that moment in conflict when such nobility is most desperately necessary.

 Soldiers of Conscience - My soldier is your terrorist. Is every war death a crime? Should every soldier die refusing to fight? (Veterans, these thoughts are not for the battlefield)
 Dresden Firestorm - They were ashamed, our valiant warriors, having been sent to destroy innocent civilians
 Dumb-down Army - The grunts haven't quite put their finger on it yet, but they know one thing for sure - this isn't fighting
 Inga Clendinnen - Inga declares war on writers, asleep at the wheel while the Republic of Letters slews off track
 Khe Sanh - "I'll march out with those men," a vow that killed war photographer Robert Ellison
 Marcel Caux - Aka Harold Katte, 102 year-old Marcel uttered the most profound summations of war ever: "I just murdered, I s'pose"; "War. Not much to be said for it"
 Mylai Apology - I'm just sorry for using the image of the fallen innocent. World still awaits apology from the perpetrators - or their leaders.

A mound of summer grass:
Are warriors' heroic deeds
Only dreams that pass?
-- Sora