In a war, there are no winners, only suffering.

Yesterday I watched a TV series titled ''The Pacific''.

It depicts the last few years of the second World War

as it played out in the Pacific area.

How ''real'' or close to real the depiction was, this I have no idea of,

but for me it was real enough to make me google

how many casualties there were in the Pacific War. 

Including all countries involved: 36 million.

How accurate that number is, I don't know, but I can't 

help but wonder if it includes all the people not part of
the armed personnel who were affected by that war.

When peace eventually came and one side was declared a ''winner'',

did the war really stop?

As I understand it, it is hard for a mind that has had to endure

the ravages of war in any capacity to ''move on''.

Flashbacks, often horrific and incredibly scary may befall us all

more or less, regardless of whether we were on the winning or

the losing side of a war.

When a soldier/nurse/doctor/etc. returns home from a war, does he/she leave 

the war behind or does he/she bring some of it home with him/her?

Is it even possible for a human being to experience any kind

of a traumatic event without it leaving indelible marks on

his/her well-being?

Chatting with a war vet in a chat room about PTSD, he had this to say:

''PTSD is not an illness, rather it is a ''healthy'' response to an event

(or events) that is detrimental and or harmful to a person's well-being''.

Considering his words for a few days I concluded that there was merit to his words.

How ''healthy'' would I consider someone who is able to bully, punch, hit, kill, 

maim, blow up, bomb, etc.etc. others without any compunction?

Not terribly healthy at all.

In my view, there are ''wars'' being fought as a matter of human existence

everyday and everywhere, although the ''arenas'' may vary:

in homes, on the internet, in schools, on phones, at work, in clubs,

in pubs, on sports fields/arenas, in the streets, in car parks, at parties,

on the roads, on public transportation's, in hospitals, etc.etc.

Where humans are, conflict seem to follow.

Makes me wonder, if in 50 years or so, will PTSD 

(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) be as common as the common cold?

After the war in the Pacific ended, the soldiers went home. 

Some of them in body bags, some of them with body parts missing,

some of them with their wits missing, but one thing they all brought

home with them from the war was flashbacks.

Flashbacks of things that they had seen and experienced.

Regardless of what kind of ''arena'' a ''war'' is being fought in,

the outcome seem to always bring with it suffering.

But,

thankfully, nowadays we have a deeper understanding

and a clearer insight into some of the effects that

often accompany traumatic experiences.

Maybe this understanding can help us to view others

who have had to flee their homes due to wars, famines,

natural disasters, poverty, etc.etc. with compassion

and kindness in favour over suspicion.

''All war is a symptom of man's failure

as a thinking animal.'' (John Steinbeck)

''I do not know with what weapons World War III 

will be fought,

but I do know that World War IV will be fought

with rocks.'' (Albert Einstein)

''In a war, there are no winners,

only suffering.'' (Citizen Z)