(article) People Thought Machine Guns Might Prevent Wars - They were wrong

[ChicagoRonin]

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/01/maxim-guns/428253/

The New York Times, in 1897, called Maxim’s invention “terrible automatic engines of war,” and suggested their mere existence might convince world leaders to settle conflicts diplomatically.

“These are the instruments that have revolutionized the methods of warfare, and because of their devastating effects, have made nations and rulers give greater thought to the outcome of war before entering … ” the Times wrote in 1897. “They are peace-producing and peace-retaining terrors.”

But when war broke out, machine guns proved to be catastrophic. They killed millions of people in World War I alone—a conflict that became known as the “machine gun war”—and sometimes killed tens of thousands of people in a single day.

[ck4829]

1. I mean, if the people in charge of wars had to lead from the front, war would end pretty quickly

[TheRealNorth]

2. They once said the same thing about nukes....

But we don't want everyone wielding one. It's bad enough when Trump and Putin had/have access to the nuclear codes.

[patphil]

3. Putin's burning through a lot of generals in Ukraine.

They have to be at the front to get the troops to fight.
Unfortunately the one military commander that isn't going to die on the front is Putin.

[ck4829]

4. And that's the rub... that's who needs to go

[NutmegYankee]

5. Albert I of Belgium may disprove that theory.

[slightlv]

6. I apologize for the opinion

but I think the only way we're ever going to get rid of wars is to get rid of the patriarchy. Put women in charge of the government, and you -might- stand a chance. Not all women are cooperators, but you do stand a better chance at having governments based on cooperative, fair-trade based policies than you ever would with men at the helm. Women are not only cooperators rather than competitors, but they are creators rather than destroyers. They also tend to think decades into the future rather than just what's around the corner tomorrow. These are just sweeping statements, and do not hold true for all women, please understand that. There is always the exception to the rule. And, knowing American society as it stands right now, we'll find the exceptions to put in power, no doubt!! But across the board, if enough men are stricken from government and replaced with women, we might stand a chance to wipe out war across the globe. And we really do need to begin to think along these earth-shaking terms, I believe. Men are going to kill us all, including the earth, if we don't.

The time for the rise of the Matriarchy is now.

[Wounded Bear]

7. They said that about dynamite, too...nt