Last week, President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."* In his acceptance speech, Obama discussed the struggle for peace and the idea that wars are sometimes just. Obama stated, "War is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such. So part of our challenge is reconciling these two seemingly irreconcilable truths: that war is sometimes necessary and war at some level is an expression of human folly."

 

 

As a class, discuss Obama’s statement. How is war an expression of human folly? Can you give an example of a country trumpeting a war? Why might a government choose to glorify war? Now, as individuals, read an article about the war in Iraq or Afghanistan. Then, describe two of the other "seemingly irreconcilable truths" of warfare. Share your thoughts with peers. 

 *Nobelprize.org