Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Dulce #3

Is it ever “Dulce et Decorum”—Sweet and Fitting—to die for one’s country?
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14 comments:

  1. dtwelve89November 10, 2009 at 5:50 PM

    Such words as "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" are only true if we are fighting for an honorable or righteous cause like freedom from enslavement, liberation from tyranny, retaliation of genocide, etc. However, when it is used as Owen classifies it, "The old Lie" where war is used for selfish gains over land, natural resources, or whatever then such words should never be true. It is not sweet and fitting to die for someone else's greed, instead its rather foolish. However, for the soldiers who did not have a choice whether to fight or not we sympathize for them and honor them still for their sacrifices.

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  2. Tsegu KahsayNovember 11, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    I totally agree with dtwelve89, there are wars which are justified and not justified. Coming from a country which has seen every type of war, and is still in war, I have full understanding of war. To answer the question first let me explain which wars are justified. Wars which are fought to restore peace or to keep the peace, wars which are fought to restore or keep freedom and justice are justified. Those who died for these wars are honored. But there is no any sweet and fitting war. War is a battle between two who believe they are enemies. One of them loses both the war and the battle, the other side loses the war and wins the battle, but "war" wins all the time. Throughout the history of war, there is no one who won the war, there is no one who fought a war but concluded without death and destruction. It might be is sweet to those who enjoy the peace, freedom and justice which came as a result of war, but to those who died for it, I don't think so it sweet and fitting.

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  3. GwenNovember 11, 2009 at 2:44 PM

    I agree with dtwelve89 that there are certain circumstances when dying in a war can be an honorable thing. Dying for one's country can be sweet, but the fact that someone is dying will always be bitter. There are people who are willing to sacrifice their own life for the sake of their country. There are also people who need the benefits that the military provides, which make them feel like they need to die for their country in order for their family to be better off. Knowing that there will always be a risk of death going into war, I suppose dying would be considered sweet though staying alive would always be sweeter.

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  4. JosephNovember 12, 2009 at 12:16 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. JosephNovember 12, 2009 at 12:18 AM

    I agree with dtwelve89. I think the word, "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" depends on the purpose and motivation of the war. If the purpose of the war is righteous and for the goodness of many other people, to participate to the war and fighting for them would be meaningful and even dying for them can honor the people, who participate to the war. However, if the motivation of the war is just personal avarice and someone's selfish gaining, joining into the war and fighting for them are meaningless and even evil.

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  6. kalNovember 12, 2009 at 4:50 PM

    I agree with all of you. I think we are all on the same page on this one. The phrase “dyeing for ones country” could be shaped and manipulated into different forms. I think it is more important to die for what we believe in. If my country is in a war to win a piece of land, no I don’t think it’s sweet and fitting to die for my country. On the other hand, if my country has been taken over by outsiders who are torturing and killing my people, I would gladly fight to the death for my country. That death would be sweet and fitting.

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  7. VedderNovember 12, 2009 at 7:30 PM

    I think that people don't care about the people that dye for our country. Sure we might feel compassion towards them when they die for their country, but thats lasts only for a few minutes maybe less, and after that all of use will be on our way doing the things we do in our normal day of life. We see all these commercials about how hungry kids are, and asks us to donate money. When we see it, we feel so bad for those kids over there, but most of us don't do shit about it, and just carry on with our lives. We wake up in the morning and it's just another day. It is never good to die for someone or a country even though if one feels they have too, no one wants to die, and no one cares about one another besides themselves.

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  8. AndcliuNovember 12, 2009 at 9:44 PM

    It may or may not be “sweet and fitting” to die for one’s country depending on reasons why the country entered the war in the beginning. If the country is doing it for economical or power hungry reasons then it may not be, unless the soldier is really patriotic and believes that sacrificing his own life would better help his country. It may also be “sweet and fitting” to die for your country if she is fighting for a just and honorable reason such as “freedom from enslavement, liberation from tyranny, retaliation of genocide” (dtwelve89).

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  9. AllenNovember 13, 2009 at 1:45 AM

    Dying for one country is not a mean to justified the beginning of a war but those who started the war but not fight in it themselves but to persuade other in the action of war toward other to their damnation. This is conflicting thoughts, people have the right in choosing their battle but to fight for other goal that which does not help you is just a useless cause in which they die without a meaning .

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  10. raisinsklNovember 13, 2009 at 12:48 PM

    I agree with all of you. It really depends on how one’s interpretation whether or not the war is fought for justice and injustice, and left one to decide whether or not sweet and fitting-to die for one’s country. Personally, I don’t think it is sweet dying for one’s country because if one died, one’s family and parents will be sad of losing their sons, although one might fight for it honorably and yet.

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  11. wayneNovember 13, 2009 at 5:16 PM

    I agree with you all about "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" are only true if we are fighting for an honorable or righteous. But before we can discuss this topic, we need to define the words "honorable" and "righteous". Everyone and every country have their standard of the two words. Is there any third party organization can define the standards and perform his role fairly and exactly for the people who involves in wars?

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  12. karen-zhongNovember 13, 2009 at 11:05 PM

    If this question is asked for a soldier, I will say “Yes.” If this question is asked for a country, my answer is “It depends.” As soldiers, most of them are willing to fight for their county, religious, and their dream. No one wants to die, but face to the war, the result should be merciless they knew, so if the soldier die for their country I think his life is honorable, at least he fulfills the soldier’s responsibility—he tries his best to protect his country, his limited life is contributed to the great motherland, he achieves a soldier’s the biggest value, so it is “Dulce et Decorum”—sweet and fitting. However, for the country, no one can define right or wrong, fit or not, maybe the countries just fight for their benefit.

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  13. Joey phanNovember 13, 2009 at 11:11 PM

    I agree with many of you that dying for one country is only "sweet and fitting" if it was for the right reason. when soldiers fought to protect their country or to gain independence for their own country, then dying for one country is an honorable thing. however, if soldiers had to go to war to help their country gain superior economic or political power, then the soldiers were dying for all the wrong and unjust reason.

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  14. AnonymousNovember 15, 2009 at 2:22 PM

    I also agree with dtwelve89. It is honorable to defend yourself and your loved ones from danger and to fight for freedom. When you decide to fight for greed and pride it lacks the honor and dignity that you would possess if you were fighting for a righteous cause.

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