The Tragedy of War

[@metatronyt]

What I find amazing about these videos as a youtuber myself, is that my goodness he never edits them with a jump cut, his ability to express his thoughts without stopping or having to organise his ideas is incredible. The only way I could do this would be by scripting the videos (which occasionally I do) but that's memory and it's an entirely different thing, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't script his videos, which makes all this fascinating.

[@arturmizuno]

Indeed, noble one, indeed.

[@watsondragon3347]

Now all we need is Skallagrim. And we got the whole team together.

[@paullytle1904]

+WatsonDragon and scholglatoria

[@23rdMS_Inf]

I know right, it's as almost as if I'm trying to get attention for my channel in this comment section.

[@FunkmasterRick]

He's an excellent rhetorician and a clear thinker.

[@andrewryan1480]

The ultimate tragedy of war is that no-one seems to learn from the last one, lessons other than what is the more effective way to wage war

[@SuperLusername]

We may and we do learn from history. But I see it in another way. Wars are often started because of the oppression. So in sense of most people we shouldn't make war to oppression? No. I say we should. There is nothing to learn from there for us. Those who oppress on the other hand should learn that empires rise and empires fall. That every oppression and dictatorship in history was overthrown in one way or another. That's what we need to learn. We should not learn not to wage war but not to cause any.

[@mikhailhemmings3789]

+Evilsamar Some people just never learn. Like the libtards calling for media censorship, constant spying by the government and "assault weapon" bans. Did I mention the communists in kalifornia waving USSR flags? So yes, we truely do not learn.

[@BasedBroad]

Please don't carry this pretension that this doesn't apply to your "side" at least just as much.

[@SuperLusername]

johnnyxenon often? I can think of only two of them. Second napoleonic and ww2.

[@fanta4897]

All you need is what Sun Tzu says and you'll be relatively fine in war.

[@pingwingugu5]

+Lindybeige you look wierd with a normal collar.

[@lindybeige]

This collar is not normal, it is just the current standard.

[@MrRaitachi]

Isn't that what normal means?

[@sc18594]

I didnt subscribe for white collars, why are you doing this to us.

[@UhisaWaya]

Or would that mean it is merely an average collar?

[@LeftHandedTurnip]

Fear not! I hear top German scientists are in the lab developing anti-sweat beige technology even as we speak!

[@RobertStoll]

As a lover of history it's quite staggering how beautiful death, war, and hardship is on the course of human events. It's been said we stand on the shoulders of giants, when really I think the saying should be we stand on the corpses of millions. Those who fought, built, invented, maintained, and inspired- all ending in a singular fate.

[@jasondoe2596]

"Πόλεμος πάντων μὲν πατήρ ἐστι" _War is the father of all_ - Heraclitus, 6th century BCE

[@jasondoe2596]

P.S. Of course, in this quote of "the obscure" philosopher, _war_ is usually interpreted as any kind of conflict and struggle. But isn't literal war the apex of those?

[@charleswood4635]

Jason : Bet you have a lot of trouble sleeping--

[@jasondoe2596]

Charles Wood Why? :)

[@jasondoe2596]

Heink de Groot, interesting view point, although I personally don't agree that Heraclitus would be interpreted this way (see the previous P.S.).

[@heink62]

Jason Doe, I do agree that Heraclitus most probably did not think thus far. But we live today and you have cited him here below this video. If you translate 'polemos' as something less than 'war' the sentence becomes more trivial. If you then consider: "well not all, but many" then everyone will agree. But why not exchange 'love' for 'war' then? Would make sense as well. However the video is talking about war. But saying the tragedy of war is that it brings to light the best quality of men is like saying the tragedy of fire is to bring to light the best quality of the fire brigade.

[@TheCompanyO]

Lindybeige, for me, this is your best video ever. I am grateful that you made it.

[@Freigeist20789]

Behind the advances in technology are the engineers and scientists, who always crave for funding of their projects. Only in times of war their is an abundant cash flow in their direction out of necessity. The tragedy is that funding of science and technology is only seen as outmost important at war.

[@Freigeist20789]

Your claim is certainly true in a world where politicans are able to perfectly ascertain the necessity and value of certain projectand funding plans. In reality politics is driven by subjectivity and power agendas. A lot of science pays for itself by the creation of business, business models and sometimes whole industries.

[@MusikCassette]

Well that might have been true fro WW1 and WW2 but funding of science is much better now, than it was before WW2.

[@landrus]

I am not sure this is correct. I read the autobiography "Surely you are joking, Mr Feynman" about and from Mr Richard P. Feynman, who happened to be one of the physicists on the Manhattan Project. He explained that a lot of the guys including himself went there to help advance the military. Later after seeing what devastating destruction they created, they changing their view, but that's beside my point. Now, Manhattan Project was to build the bomb and not some fancy physics stuff. But a lot of advances were made during this project in general areas.

[@Freigeist20789]

In addendum to all these previous comments. It think a basic social security net is an absolute necessity and should be prioritized before science. If the people are starving you are helping nobody in researching for a possible lifetime extension trough medical advances. But most industrial nations are beyond that stage. It is less Science vs Social funding than. Science vs Tax breaks for certain entities, Science vs Not fixing tax loop holes, Science vs Inflated bureaucracy Science vs Prestige projects, Science vs Military spending (maybe in times of war necessary).

[@xShadowDarkX]

+Nate Windwood sounds like some divergent series nonsense when put that way though.

[@borismuller86]

Why don't you do a video about combat medics? Like the rules of engagement etc. I'm sure it would be very interesting.

[@DanG249]

I personally enjoy Vsauce's video on the topic, "Is All Fair In Love And War?" /watch?v=oThh3_Srxtc

[@purpleprinc3]

Yah I wonder if there were 'ancient' combat medics, like in Roman armies etc.

[@ironmatic1]

@@purpleprinc3 yes. they were called stretcher bearers. in many nations, also musicians

[@weltgeist2604]

Lindybeige? Really is that a white shirt with pointed collars? SHAME! SHAME! (The outro explains the colour but his pointed collar is still shameful.)

[@elagabalusrex1082]

I almost fainted when I saw that awful sight.

[@theREDdevilz22]

(RINGS BELL)

[@thechurchoftheholyplam261]

Lindybeige needs to write a letter of apology to all of his loyal fans, otherwise I am unsubscribing.

[@Quillyik]

I was about to point that out and saw this.

[@quasicroissant]

watch till the end of the video for an explanation.

[@JacobBite]

FINALLY LINDY, A NEW VIDEO! Please don't leave me waiting so long next time.

[@TheZandaz]

His voice seems a lot deeper in this video.

[@Adumb_]

maybe because it is a handheld camera recorder.

[@SmigGames]

I think it's because he's keeping it down a bit more than when he's at home.

[@Caesar_Himself]

Sounds like a cold

[@GCeara-mh5it]

It's because this is his clone, and not the real lindy, hence the pointed collars...

[@charleswood4635]

G. Ceara, Close , actually it's a doppelganger.

[@ashyahardan]

"It is well that war is so bad, otherwise we would grow too fond of it." -Robert E. Lee

[@kahanquanic7515]

ITS NOT A BEIGE SHIRT WAT IS MY LIFE ANYMORE

[@kahanquanic7515]

OMG i missed the whole ending well that explains it

[@Zappygunshot]

What it doesn't explain, however, is the pointed collar.

[@s.jeffreybolton1750]

Great video Lindy. Very poetic. It's like a corollary to the quote from Robert E. Lee: "It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow to fond of it"

[@SomeOne-lc2pc]

The greatest tragedy is first comments

[@sompret]

No, the greatest tragedy is most KZbin comments.

[@thomaspate4377]

lol

[@OFreakshowO]

+Crashandburn999 Whoa there, Satan, calm down.

[@christiangeiselmann]

+Crashandburn999 What do you need the killing for?

[@gtabigfan34]

Nah, it's your grammar.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Nah man, I'm okay with not testing my limits to the extreme. I think I can live without war. It's a sacrifice I'm wiling to make. ;D

[@ivar4677]

calm down you are in the comments of every video on yt already

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Ivar That's because this is where I like to take advantage of my anonymity in order to post lame jokes...

[@bayhale2224]

You say that now, living in a society molded and improved by war.

[@gordonlawrence3537]

You can test yourself quite hard in other ways. Mountaineering, high level sports, even trying to learn something that is outside your normal frame of reference. Not the same but it's at least more than most people do.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Bayhale The truth is that we cannot overstate how much war has affected our society, culturally and technologically. For example, for the past few months I've been reading a book called: *Combat-Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat* It's pretty heavy reading, but it illustrates very clearly how massively the army has affected our nutrition - in both positive and negative ways. That said, while the impact of war is undeniable, I see no evidence to point out that it was necessary for our evolution. In fact, one might argue that without war we would have evolved at the same rate without the various advances it brought about, because we would have also been spared its devastation and setbacks. Nevertheless, this is an exercise in futility. We are a species defined by war, whether we like it or not, and denying that is just silly wishful thinking. BUT, that doesn't mean it has to be like that in the future as well.

[@kieranfitz]

Is it just me or does his voice sound a bit different in this? Maybe it's the mic.

[@steve24822]

Sounds like he has had a cold.

[@keeperofthecheese]

His voice is cracking a bit, maybe hes emotional about his subject, or maybe its just a bit of allergy.

[@TheTdw2000]

No, it's the pointed collar.

[@robburgess4556]

Or maybe late puberty ;-)

[@LordBloodpool]

Hayfever, most likely. When you get extremely high pollen counts, even people who don't normally suffer from Hayfever can get the symptoms - one of which is a sore or "tickley" throat, which can certainly alter your voice a bit As a long-time sufferer, I can tell you it fucking sucks.

[@srspower]

You're right, the cold war is a great example. It sent us to the moon all to prove we could make intercontinental ballistic missiles. For me though the greatest tragedy is the secrecy of some aspects of war, my grand father was irradiated in the Australian desert in the 1980's testing a nuclear warhead for Ronald Raegans star wars project along with dozens of other scientists. He died ten years later after contracting cancer from the fall out. He was never and will never be acknowledged as a victim or as someone who contributed so much all because officially that explosion never happened.

[@simargl2454]

>You have no power here Lindybeige

[@stefanomorandi7150]

i agree with you beige-san: war brings out the worst of humanity, but also its best.

[@emimoon1712]

As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention."

[@platetec4636]

Just found Your channel and spent a happy Saturday afternoon being regaled with interesting stories and facts I didn't know, whether I wanted to or not. Thank You

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

As a science lover I have to say I think that as far as ingenuity, bravery, self-sacrifice etc. go these things are also often tested when men challenge nature - when they explore, when they travel through seas or polar ice or into space. If we decided tomorrow to end and reverse global warming, that would require an effort and sacrifice as titanic as any war. The point is apparently, we somehow don't think mustering such energies is necessary if our target isn't the easily grasped one of murdering other human beings. War isn't something we *need* to test these qualities. War is something we *like* to test these qualities in because it's something that in the end still goes to satisfy our immense sense of self-importance for our religions, ideologies, borders, flags, and all such claptrap, because we can't grasp the scope of the even bigger challenges we could rise to but that escape the scales that our mind is used to consider.

[@mysttale7893]

And yet without such self importance our society wouldn't be nearly as diverse and interesting. A world with humans putting aside their passion for their culture to cooperate with others is unthinkable.

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

Well, you can have diversity without taking it so seriously to kill each other in its name. "Unthinkable" seems a bit of a stretch. A lot of things that we have today might have seemed "unthinkable" to someone one or two thousand years ago.

[@mysttale7893]

+Hagane no Gijutsushi Of course it doesn't usually go that far as most individuals are reasonable people, but people also band together to feel a part of something. To feel as though they have an identity and it's evident that this causes unease and prejudice when other groups behave differently, and that prejudice can fester into shit like the war on terror. I get that you aren't convinced but I do believe it's unthinkable to have a world without this and still have such diversity. Humans are too complex for that. Education can easily reduce prejudice and it has been increasingly, but it's not enough.

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

MystTale Well, but even though some things might be idealised models it doesn't mean we should cheerily accept their failure as something we "need". Sounds like sour grapes reasoning to me. In addition, as our destructive capability increases, it becomes proportionately more necessary to avoid war. When tribes in the Bronze Age fought it out they didn't have the possibility to literally destroy all life on Earth. Now, that is a thing. We may not be able to ever remove war entirely from our world, but romanticising it doesn't do us any services either.

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

***** Yeah but what's the point of MANUFACTURING an existential threat so that we can show how good we are at surviving it? I mean, I understand that sometimes it happens; I don't understand talking about it in these terms, as if it was something sadly necessary. We don't *need it*; we simply do it exactly because collectively we're not really that smart. It's like irradiating yourself to get cancer so you can prove how resilient and able to take treatment without flinching you are. If you consider it at a personal level it sounds incredibly stupid.

[@rotellam]

I wonder how Lloyd comes up with so many different topics. Every video, whether I agree or not, is entertaining and thought-provoking and captivating.

[@Argacyan]

You can always hear people saying war was a good thing and they then (or at least sometimes) bring up exactly this: Technology. Such people, no matter how you point it out, usually also neglect all the bad sides of war. That's why they're still thinking war was good...

[@X3h0n]

Well, the actual technological advancements that come from the war and wouldn't have been reached otherwise in that time frame are actually very limited and they come at the cost of other achievements, because societies just redirect their resources while at war and don't gain anything new. The germ theory and the creation of modern sewer systems couldn't have been achieved through war. Neither could've smart phones for that matter.

[@xXJAKMACKXx]

Technology tends to regress, quality of life diminishes, government gets more power. And in the government run schools they teach you to say that war has a silver lining.

[@matthewprice8362]

then why do you have computers? because of war! , war is not necessarily a bad thing it can be good. technology does NOT regress it is EXTREMELY hard to regress technology

[@rylotsheer6327]

+Nerd Punk-Fu Mobile phone technology is based on military radios. The internet was originally a communication system for the military. The technology smart phones are built upon is heavily grounded in military advancements.

[@X3h0n]

Rylot Sheer Military radios are a long long way from a mobile phone, at least in their current form. Had there been a war, there's no doubt no one would've bothered to invest the resources needed for the infrastructure for even basic civilian mobile communications. The matter of fact is that the internet and other technologies you eluded to were still developed during a time of peace. The military was simply the preferred vessel for scientific grants at the time and did itself not participate in the research. It might just as well have been the FCC that made the grants to MIT and others for that matter.

[@greekvvedge]

Lindybeige, you really do the best tangential digressions on the web. A+!

[@Ybalrid]

This explain the color. What about the non-rounded collar ? :p

[@undecidedgenius]

I was going to say the same thing...I am taking it that he didn't get a chance to modify his shirt.

[@Falamee158]

Watch until the end of the video, he explains there.

[@gunnut505]

Colour

[@lordashenwyte1307]

Doesn't explain the non-rounded collar though.

[@xXBisquitsXx]

Probably because the only non Beige shirts he has are ones he hasn't gotten round to modifying yet.

[@jamie896745]

I knew this was why i stuck around. I knew lindybeige would go unhinged at some point.

[@Dylankeahi]

I half-agree. There's no question that humanity has made amazing technological strides as a direct result of war. The discovery of plate tectonics, practical applications for general relativity, and transportation tech to name a few. But I don't agree that war HAS to be the cause of the greatest scientific advancement. The world today is a testament to that. We live in one of the most peaceful times in world history. Death from armed combat is almost at an all-time low, even counting the deaths from terrorist organizations like ISIS. And yet, we're making advancements like we never have before. Computing power is increasing exponentially,. Education and healthcare are more accessible than they've ever been. And let's not forget about medical technology. Medical tech research has exploded in the past 20 years. The progress humanity has made is almost unbelievable. War CAN be a cause of great progress, but saying that it has to be is kind of a fallacy.

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart8204]

World is not so peaceful but i agree. At least all nations are not trying to destroy each other. We are in the age of internet, age of communication. Internet is the second gratest invention of humankind. First one is invention of writing of course. That changed everything. Now knowledge is in everywhere and countless times more permanent. You can't burn down the internet like they burnt the books in past, you can't censor the internet China is trying but there is always a way to overcome censors. In wartime people channeled their focus to destructive things. That helped to develop other inventions but with same amount of effort we could invent 10 times more useful things. Today war is not the main motivation of invetions, money is. Since technology started to destroy all jobs we started to see more knowledge workers. Long story short we are living in a different world. We dont need wars to develop technology anymore. But wars teached us many things.

[@minutescience7817]

Tragedy of War is a major theme in my novel, so this video was quite inspiring. Thank you.

[@ronwilliams7772]

Self-sacrifice is not a virtue; it might be occasionally necessary from a macro perspective, but it's not and can never be a virtue.

[@lindybeige]

The sacrifice itself isn't a virtue, but that a person might choose to go through with it shows a humbling level what society considers 'good'. 'Goodness' is what is good for society as a whole.

[@fomharoliana1207]

I would imagine the excercise any virtue involves a sacrifice of one kind or another.

[@kbernstar]

Only if you define self-sacrifice as an extension of loyalty or duty. Is that your argument then? That self-sacrifice is a duty? Because it is demonstrable that even given the duty, there are many who would not lay themselves on the altar of sacrifice willingly.

[@voiceactorofdovakiin]

Tell that to Jesus.

[@ronwilliams7772]

Lindybeige Wouldn't this merely be subservience, then? If a certain level of subservience is necessary to benefit from society's framework, then I could see how charity would play a part as a kind of investment into society ("overpaying" to generate something akin to interest).

[@Chronologger]

I haven't watched this video, commenting before watching, but I have a feeling this may be one of Lindy's best videos yet.

[@z0000g7]

Interesting point, though I disagree on the grounds that war is not the only thing that can test our bravery, character, ingenuity, etc. Natural disasters and other crises that threaten similar destruction can accomplish the same test, therefore it is a flawed premise that we NEED war for this.

[@thomasfeck188]

Dear, Lindybeige. You truly are a human being in the purest sense.

[@Avanstarwa]

More "walking through the woods" Videos, please.

[@WordBearer86]

Your narration voice here is astounding Lindy!

[@Aegox]

I agree with that to a startling amount. In all honesty I have always believed that people become the craftiest, technology advances the most, and real courage and triumph only appears in war. Take arms and armor for example, the real development of the two correspond to each other; weapons get better to defeat armor and cause more damage, armor advances to beat the arms. Example, We find rocks and bone kill quite nice, so we get clubs to outreach them. We outreach the rocks, they make slings to throw those stones. We Get shields to stop those stones so they make spears They get spears so we make bigger shields and wear wooden armor We wear armor so they make maces and swords to beat the wood We use leather to stop the blunt force and swords It keeps going and going all the way to bullets and Kevlar.

[@aah7806]

There's an old saying that goes: "War breeds necessity." I think that's something befitting for your comment. One thing for Lindybeige, if he ever reads this, is that the Battle of Britain was won by planes, but not strictly due to necessity. The reason why they excelled was due to the Schneider Trophy, which Britain won three times and kept it. The Rolls Royce Merlin Engine didn't come about because of necessity, it was because of competition. The government just saw that they needed an upgrade, and so bought them and the Spitfires, replacing their outdated Gloster Gladiators.

[@franzluggin398]

Money and resources are what drives research, and with a big outside threat, weapons and armour research immediately look like a better investment.

[@aah7806]

Magnets ON! Also, another reason is due to closeness. The reason why they're a lot of advancements in technology in the past, is that people knew that if they didn't work hard enough, they'd be overthrown. But if all we're fighting are people in the Middle East, then people take a lazier viewpoint. You don't need to worry, because they're not professional soldiers.

[@Herr_Gamer]

Agreed. This is one of the most thoughtwaking vids I've seen in a while.

[@johanneskarlsson6535]

Maybe we won't know for certain how we will react in battle until we are put in that position, but that doesn't mean we need it. We don't need it to be (or to prove that we are) productive or inventive or anything else. I even think it is a myth that war itself generates a technological boost, because you cannot see what would have been created in its stead (related to something called opportunity cost) - but that's another story.

[@MafaldaIksDw]

My hat's off to you, sir. I thought about this on several occasions and i could never really word it like you did.

[@vaibracco1707]

What is the painting in the thumbnail? Thanks.

[@kuh-7281]

Antigone by Nikiforos Lytras

[@headrockbeats]

Darude - Sandstorm. Oh, wait, sorry, wrong meme. Dunno what I was thinking.

[@2adamast]

He could have taken Consequences of war, looks like Guernica but in a Classical setup. But they don't support his views.

[@shooter2055]

--been there, done that. I've been a proud member of The Walking Dead since 15 March 1980. Knowing that you pass the test can be a hard thing. Like your vids! Keep 'em coming!!

[@MathieuQ1995]

This is a recurrent pattern in History. Generation who haven't directly fought in a war tend to romanticize it ignoring the fact that most people are forced or coerced (propaganda)into it when it happens. During wartime people do indeed show their true nature but it's rarely about bravery and more about savagery (animal instinct, rape and all the funny things...). It would be insulting our ancestors who died in battle and those who came back physically and mentally broken from war to encourage another war. We have arrived at a point where wars between states are really not worth it anymore because of the development of international trade and interdependance. If you look at it most wars nowadays are civil wars. I would strongly encourage the most skeptical to watch: Is War Over? - A Paradox Explained on the Kurzgesagt channel.

[@SirLumsalot]

Very thought provoking. It reminds me of the phrase: "If you want peace, prepare for war". A lot can be said about so few words and part of that would have to be about the tragedy you've pointed out here. It seems too much a part of the human condition.

[@colbyw3575]

oh wow your voice sounds way deeper when you arent in your house

[@L3monsta]

Sounds like he's recovering from a cold

[@BigWheel.]

Videos like this are why I love this channel.

[@EladLerner]

What you described, the heroism, the bravery, it's all true. But do we NEED war? Why must we show our bravery THAT way? So some people can die so others will say "oh, they were so brave"? I can't agree to that. Like another user commented here, I'd rather see the limits of our human capabilities pushed by exploring, inventing, building, discovering. Not by destroying, demolishing, killing. We don't need war. What good did the bravery of thousands of dead, nameless to history, foot-soldiers did for humanity, after they gave their lives for some forgotten noble in some kingdom that doesn't exist anymore? In contrast, we still call the stars names that were made up more than a millennia ago. You say that war drives invention. That may be true for the last 100 years, but most of Europe was at war for 2000 years. If it was so effective, why hasn't the industrial revolution happened sooner? I think this is just the over-glorification of war. A romantic outlook held by leaders to rationalize their actions. And I think you are better than that.

[@Earthenfist]

War did more to drive materials technology in those 2000 years in Europe (and Asia, and Africa) than any other pursuit. Do you think ditch-diggers would have developed steel when they were still using wooden shovels? No, it was the demand for blades that stay sharp and don't break that drove metallurgy. Would the men making barns and huts have discovered the properties of concrete and architecture that allows us to create buildings that reach to the skies? No, it was the demands of castles and fortifications that needed to stand up to siege machinery that drove those innovations. The stars are given names drawn from ancient tales of combat, heroes who gained their title and stellar reward through feats of combat. And physically, who would you have be considered heroes? Sports derive from combat games and tournaments meant to keep warriors sharp in times of peace. Those who save lives, the firefighters, the rescue workers, the officers of law and order, their great deeds are wrought against the forces that would wish to do harm to others- and is Man not the most dangerous force that Man yet knows?

[@cattledog901]

Jesus christ, the "need" to prove ourselves and our bravery is on humanities subconscious level, that was Lindy's point. Take your head out of your ass your pseudo intellectual. Whatever you would "like to see" is irrelevant to the discussion and humanities true nature.

[@TheRealGaffer]

It's great to see such a passion for a subject man. This is probably one of my favourite videos from you just for the off-the-cuff presentation.

[@Stierlitz]

WHITE SHIRT!!!

[@Stierlitz]

Ah, sorry, I blurted out my outrage before the video ended...

[@helsing7423]

Damn it, you beat me to it.

[@barryirlandi4217]

Ahhhhhhhh

[@PeterBarnes2]

I think a greater tragedy than that is the pointed collar.

[@isaacvasquez4743]

+Peter LeRoy “Apl 527097” Barnes Agreed

[@deathman11jackd]

I LOVED this video. It wasn't normal for you, but I just really enjoyed it. You deserve my thanks, I suppose. I'd honestly like to see more of this.

[@vinny142]

I get what you are saying, but for the absolute majority of people, war just means suffering, death and destruction. Only a small handful of people are pushed to do the remarkable, and they see it as their duty, not as a challenge to see if they can do it. Yes technological advances happen faster, but only in weapons, only in the things that the soldiers need to cause more death and destruction. For me, the tragedy of war is that nobody who participates in a war wants to be there. Everybody is fighting to end the war, to stop the killing. They kill to stop the killing...

[@markziff7234]

Their are some who want to be there, who enjoy it.

[@danielmartin4596]

Thank you for putting this into words far more eloquent than mine own.

[@mikeg5616]

with war comes progress.

[@jamespaul9533]

Well spoken! When things are at their worst, we are at our very best.

[@lednybeeg3474]

That leaf is wrong

[@weltgeist2604]

BIG SHOUTY COMMENT!

[@joop5415]

Damn. Straight away I was like "naah it's obviously the death" but then you changed my mind simply by stating your thesis. Nice one.

[@taolandin]

But why do we even need to test ourselves?

[@canceroushumor460]

To constantly improve and avoid stagnation, or worse, regression.

[@temporaldisplacement]

The tragedy of the few survivours of a civilization not having the knowlage between them to rebuild. Standing amongst the ruins of your home, that will never be rebuilt.

[@Jacob-yg7lz]

To be able to adapt and overcome future events.

[@giangano9161]

Hey dude, I just want to say that I love your videos. I especially love how intellectually you teach and inform people about extremely interesting, and sometimes very important topics. You are indubitably intelligent and I appreciate how in depth you are in explaining these topics. I have learned a whole lot about the world and I believe you are extremely underrated and it is a tradgedy in my eyes that no-one can appreciate the great knowledge you have to share with the world. Keep it up!

[@enjoythestruggle]

The tragedy to me is that the people give their lives thinking they're fighting for some higher ideal, while in reality they're usually just fighting for some rich guy's bank account.

[@Commanderhurtz1]

I'v got to agree with you Lindy, I'v felt the same. We see the most beautiful acts of kindness in dark times, the brightest lights shine, we come up with amazing technologies...But through the death and maiming of others. Very good video Lindy.

[@jakebaumfalk3965]

He sounds like Benedict Cumberbatch.

[@Zappygunshot]

What, British? You racist! ;)

[@schachmaster]

After watching you cover this dark subject, only to end it with your normal upbeat ending theme, end joke, and a lego man with his battlecry of "Lindybeige!", I think I learned a new definition of Juxtaposition.

[@manulf2813]

Tho the germans Invented the jet.

[@lindybeige]

www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk/jet.php there are jets, and there are rockets.

[@Tommy_The_Gun]

Jet engine was invented independently by British and Germans in almost the same period of time. However the first combat military jet - powered aircraft - was german.

[@Angel33Demon666]

+Lindybeige Me262?

[@nicholaslewis8493]

The original "jet" engine was the pulsejet engine made in 1906 by Russian engineer Karavodin.

[@icedragon769]

"Inventing the jet" and "building the first jet fighter" are two very different things.

[@mandr3w]

Oh my god. Lloyd you are so moving :,) thank you for all this amazing content you've amassed over the years

[@SaikouHD]

I've been watching this channel for ages and I've just got to say it. You look like Jeremy Corbyn

[@christiangeiselmann]

Or the othher way round?

[@Zappygunshot]

That depends on who looked like that first.

[@FortisConscius]

Yes I agree. Jeremy Corbyn looks like Lindybeige.

[@christiangeiselmann]

+Zap “Gee” Gun Even more complicated. It depends on who was first looked at, because there are no looks unless somebody looks.

[@0249er]

He does but I think he look more "manly" whilst Jeremy looks a lot more frail and little

[@Sundance_the_Rapper]

I love videos like this that really get me thinking. I never really thought about the greatest tragedy of war but now that I do, it's sort of a solemn feeling. A true tragedy.

[@MrEolicus]

The greatest tragedy of war is that we do not need it but we act as if we did. And please do not confuse 'greatest' tragedy with the 'great test' tragedy...

[@theoriginaldylangreene]

Biology disagrees with that statement.

[@MrEolicus]

Dylan Greene Thanatology agrees with it...

[@theoriginaldylangreene]

Eolicus Thanatology welcomes it, as it's more cases to study.

[@MrEolicus]

Lloyd is writing about Hannibal whose life was devoted to warfare. That is why he is so morose and sombre and reflecting about lives consumed in war, I suspect. Or maybe he is reflecting because he just can't help it. In either case we benefit from it.His reasoning is curious and he expresses it quite well, I find.

[@GuntherRommel]

That was wonderful, Mr. Lloyd. Thank you.

[@Jellyf0x]

It looks like a civil war is brewing in Europe at the moment. :-s

[@sebastianmunozochoa1485]

what about the South China Sea crisis and the tensions between Russia and NATO?

[@razzledazzle7776]

+Sebastian muñoz ochoa mate we've had about 80 fucking years f tension with Russia. It ain't anything new.

[@pepesfinalform4634]

Not really.

[@keeperofthecheese]

Russia and Nato arent the biggest issue - they are much more co-reliant than you think. Together they run the world - they know that they would be fools to risk change. European civil war is more likely, but i doubt we will see it in our lifetime.

[@MrTheWaterbear]

(and more directly Japan)

[@Oupii313]

Your voice has new depth to it, I like it. Great narrator voice, and of course educational.

[@skorpikh]

+Lindybeige I do not agree with you on this topic. The greatest tragedy of war is when people die in the name of their country killing other people they never met before.

[@lindybeige]

The greatest tragedy FOR ME. I have never had to flee my homeland, rebuild my house, or bury a relative because of war. I study it from a safe distance.

[@whoaitstiger]

Well that's just your opinion... ... a reference to one of your older videos. :)

[@mateuszkuzio4736]

The whole idea of war is not to die for your country, but make the other bastards die for theirs.

[@StezzerLolz]

Pratchett, Jingo, if I recall correctly.

[@G4r0s]

I'd say that humans are capable of all these sings in extreme situations, including but not limited to war. I don't know if it matters much whether the threat of death comes from someone else with a gun, wild animals or some kind of natural disaster. My personal experience is that you get a glimpse of the truest self of a person only under the most extreme circumstances. What bothers me about the video is that it somehow belittles the bravery and self-sacrifice outside war. Certainly, it might be the most tragic thing about war. It also might be the most tragic thing about human existence that we only shine the brightest in our darkest hours.

[@Tiger74147]

Beautifully and concisely expressed. Perhaps there is another way, but we've yet to discover it. I have some hope for interactive and empathy-inducing media, but it's just a hope.

[@matthewcox6338]

The only alternative to war that achieves the same progress and such, is nationwide/worldwide competition in the pursuit of money/prestige without allowing physical bloodshed, I see remnants of this in the Cold War with the space race and nuclear energy.

[@siestatime4638]

I had rather labeled you as mildly and unapologetically sexist , but you seemed to use the example of a female war hero very comfortably. Thank you.

[@lindybeige]

Heroine.

[@Liliputian07]

Ha ha why would he be sexist

[@Liliputian07]

***** To be sexist? Yes

[@OfficialJuke]

.

[@siestatime4638]

Fishers fish. Aviators aviate. Heroes are brave. Gender doesn't enter into it. 8-)

[@andieslandies]

Thanks for sharing this thought +Lindybeige. That the zenith of human possibility is most frequently painted on a canvas of the nadir of human possibility is truly war's greatest tragedy! In fact, this is humanity's greatest tragedy: that it takes the threat of being destroyed by other humans to galvanise the support and determination required to bring out the possibilities that are always within all humans, and that ,when we finally bring those possibilities out, we bring them out in the pursuit of of destroying human beings.

[@GiordanoBruno42]

I liked this video. Your opinion was thoughtful and the greenery was relaxing. Top marks innit bruv.

[@davidjravis5410]

Probably one of the most profound insights I've heard, and it only took him just under five minutes to make his point.

[@saberpat7]

hey Lindybeige glad to see you making new content again I love your channel

[@saberpat7]

as for the idea of War, I think your touching on something very important but I would argue that things like natural disasters also bring out the very best in (and as with war, the very worst) in people, we did something similar with the space race as well, I would say that Adversity as well as high stakes can bring out the bravery of a society.

[@saberpat7]

+saberpat7 although I wonder, my father was in Vietnam and my country is in the middle east, and while we see examples of bravery in the soldiers there seems to be such a disconnect between the citizens of America and the soldiers out there fighting in those conflicts

[@saberpat7]

+saberpat7 I guess what I was trying to say is that because warfare has become so divorced from the majority of us citizens and perhaps some other first world nations, that we no longer get to see that heroic bravery at work and lauded, we just expect our soldiers to go to war, deal with the problem, come back and be normal members of society and keep their mouth shut about what they've seen and done, all of it

[@eshafto]

Doctors went to stop the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Many died, and all knew they could do so. There is no calamity without its heroes. Floods, mass shootings, earthquakes, all give us the opportunity to learn what we are made of without something so artificial as a war. We don't need war to test our mettle. And is testing our mettle so important that it is worth the waste, the murder, the destruction? May you and I live in peace, and never be so tested.

[@MrJaffaCakie]

I truly believe that Lloyd spends 90 percent of his time wandering around woods contemplating abstract ideas; Living the dream!

[@RoyalDog214]

Yay, another Lindybeige video!

[@ImYourGeneral101]

Very philosophical Lloyd. I found it very thought provoking.

[@skorpikh]

Can you imagine suddenly bumping into Lloyd while he talks to a camera walking in a forest ?

[@MrBellsBlues]

I was literally just googling "Character personality flaws" for some roleplay I was doing... The twist! It's the greatest tragedy that we need war to accomplish truly great things (most of the time). Love it.

[@jonathandavenport2500]

Wow that is one of the most intelligent and insightful things I have ever heard about War.

[@kungfuninja55]

Amazing video. Definitely one for the favorites

[@chadwarden5039]

great, insightful video buddy! hope you get well soon.

[@jamebeach6207]

That is an amazing thought. I think that will stick with me forever now.

[@jeremysaklad6703]

I disagree that wartime is the only absolute test of humanity. I believe that the “war” against problems - eradication of disease, alleviation of poverty, resolution of logistics challenges, the pursuit of scientific knowledge and even the *avoidance* of war through diplomacy - these too are places where people prove their worth. And there will always be an unlimited amount of challenges to try people.

[@TheVerifiquitas]

the tragedy of war is not that life is lost, but that to those that yet live, it takes war to truly appreciate life. good video @lindybeige

[@karinefonte516]

The tragedy of war is to make so many people believe war is absolutely necessary to ensure advances and modernization in a society. As if we, humans, weren't inquisitive and daring enough to search for answers and create things without the social demand for bloodshed.

[@harrisonbergeron5139]

And after we've been tested, to come home to the new world we've helped to create, to remember the nobility we've witnessed within others and in some small part, within ourselves, to find ourselves in a world which places little value on self- sacrifice or indeed any of the traits we've admired and aspired toward, to find ourselves strangers: well Lindy, I think that one's a big one. After serving I worked with disabled vets for two decades until I realized one morning that I was as lost as any of them. That was my tragedy.

[@robert506007]

Very well said Sir. The only close equivalent I can think of would be a person trying to save another person from a burning building with nothing but the cloths on their back and then that is only for a very short period of time by comparison.

[@BardofCornwall]

An interesting take. Hemingway said something similar on writers needing to be tempered in war.

[@thechannelnameisthis]

Loved the video and agree with the point made although one might argue that war bringing the finest qualities of humanity to light is the greatest triumph of war, whilst the need of war to bring these points to the fore is the greatest tragedy of humanity.

[@Gigas0101]

Thank you for making me reread Romance of the Three Kingdoms and pick With Fire and Sword back up.

[@matthewantonello5029]

This might be the best lindy beige video ever

[@sergepokorny3972]

... wait, no ridiculous sarcastic thing springs to mind on this topic... well spoken! amazing! And thank you for explaining the white shirt, I got a bit worried there.

[@PeepshowHanky]

Well spoken. I really enjoy your channel.

[@Phangmaster]

Interesting topic, but you can only have that point of view Lindy, if you don't have children. If you had children you'd say that children loosing their parents, and parents loosing their children is the worst tragedy.

[@theglasslionstreams5183]

The greatest tragedy for me is the mother, father, sister, brother whom loses a loved one in a war. Having to go their entire lives, grieving over someone they can never hug, or speak to again. No parent should ever have to see their child die before them. It's heartbreaking to see.