Philosophers have asked some version of that question since our ancestors first experienced rationale thoughts. For now we will go light on the metaphysical and existential answers.
Who is WarCanon?
I decided to create WarCanon out of an interest in military history. In a very real sense war has been with human kind since before recorded history. Archeologist’s frequently unearth evidence that humans have engaged in some form of war or aggression almost from the time we began walking upright and making tools. Often those tools were used to assist in defense, hunting, and aggression or war.
History is the study of and the documentation of the past. I see it as a form of story telling. Humans have gathered around and shared stories for as long as they have been able to articulate them. The act of engaging in history is recording those stories. Even before we created writing as a way to immortalize our stories humans created oral histories and told the stories of war, mighty heroes, fallen kingdoms, and the ways of war.
I served in the U.S. Army in one capacity or another for over 40 years. I grew up hearing the stories the military tells. In a sense I was immersed in a culture that has helped to shape history since before we began recording the stories. You might say I was fated to become an amateur war historian.
The word canon has several meanings. One meaning is that it is a codified set of rules or laws for a particular discipline. The art of war definitely has a set of rules that the majority of those who engage in war must follow. Another definition for the word “canon” is; the works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
My intent is to be as authentic as possible. I am going to share stories with you that will help you understand how war is a part of the human experience. I hope to give you insight into a culture that is exotic or foreign for many.
Who Am I?
I am your host and guide to the stories you will find here. I spent my youth on the usual pursuits. I drank a bit too much for a time. I made foolish decisions. One of the best decisions I made was to honor a commitment to the military that I made when I was unsure of what to do now that I had graduated from high school and was facing the imminent choice of being evicted from my parents house, going to college, or continuing to work at the lofty and prestigious Chinese Gardens restaurant as a bus boy and dishwasher.
I did eventually go to college and learn a few things along the way. I also was afforded the opportunity to learn a variety of skills and jobs courtesy of the U.S. Army over the span of 40 years, 10 months, and 17 days. The military has some of the best training in the world when it comes to leadership, critical thinking, and a variety of other skills.
War Game Scenarios
One of the things that military people and historians share is an avid interest in the study of the past. By studying past battles you can learn a lot about fighting wars and and how entire civilizations are shaped. You can also learn a lot about what they will do in the present. Often the past is a predictor of the future.
Military people often study battles through war game scenarios. We build mock ups and study as many aspects of a campaign or a battle as we can. We speculate and analyze the possible outcomes and the actual outcomes. One of the things we ask a lot is “What if?” What if Lee had waited for his calvary to join him at Gettysburg? “What if Hitler had not attacked Russia and focused on just his Western Front?”
“What if Alexander the Great had lived to be an old conqueror instead of dying young?” What if the Library of Alexandria had not burned down? Would we have the secrets of Greek Fire or steam engines hundreds of years sooner?”
Some times it isn’t answer but the question that is the most intriguing. In my case I love both the answers and the questions.