Fake War

In reality, wars are power struggles. They are not good against evil. The guilty are the beneficiaries and the innocent are the victims.

In fiction, wars are either realistic or fantastic. The realism is embellished. The fantasy is usually tempered with acknowledgment of tragedy.

Reality is a fiction written by God. Its characters are alive and have free will but are limited by plot devices meant to assure the intended plot plays out. The author dictates pacing and word count.

Important people do wear plot armor. They cannot die unless a dramatic moment is meant for them or they have outlived their usefulness in the story.

Most people are unimportant characters. They are living props more than anything else. Demographics are more important than individuals... with very few exceptions.

Contrary to what is assumed by the hopeful, God does fancy war. His creation is at its best when people are fighting as groups. He is pleased when people work together, even if to do evil. He enjoys the demonstrations of prowess. He is inspired by the acts of courage.

God is prone to bad ideas. He tends to squander his good ones. His wars are uninspiring. They break people, inside and out.

Nuclear weapons are God's worst idea yet. Sure, they ended World War 2 early. They “kept the peace” for nearly a century. Alas, they negate the relevance of courage and prowess.

The wars of fiction are better than those of history books... unless the history is actually fiction. I am mindful of this as a writer.