Assignment 9 Victor Allison

As we believe in eternal peace, the Vikings believed in eternal war. While these Scandinavian savages ravaged the coastlines of Britain and France, to die in battle was all a young man could hope for. Once good and happily dead, a fallen warrior, once ascended to Valhalla, would then eternally eat, drink, procreate, and yes, battle. The award-winning Mad Max movie alluded to this creed when a pale, cancerous young mercenary tries several times, unsuccessfully, to martyr himself. But another movie, less critically acclaimed, projects a different idea. The Diplomat is a documentary by David Holbrooke on the flaws and achievement of his father, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Ambassador to Germany and Secretary of State to both Asian and European relations (not simultaneously),  Richard Holbrooke was known as one of the greatest diplomats of his time. As a major contributor to the formulation of the Dayton Peace Accords, Holbrooke put a stop to the seemingly endless violence that plagued Bosnia for years, saving thousands of lives. For although war is often an absolute necessity, tactful diplomacy can be a true blessing. If top minds are able to prevent conflict in any way, this is what must be done. Today, youth don't dream of eternal battle in Valhalla. Many children lie awake every night fearing for their family, their community, their nation's survival. Russia has recently procured a nuclear warhead capable of razing an area as large as France or Texas. This isn't what the noble Norsemen sang of. Today, war has the ability to tear our fragile humanity apart, which is why we are in desperate need of top minds to work nonstop to end the tribal conflicts in central Africa, and the millennium-old Middle Eastern threat. War, or at least a certain degree of aggression, is necessary, however, when the minds just aren't top enough.