Too Fat to Fight: A Way to End Wars

The American military just released a report, which showed that 27% of young potential recruits were rejected because they were too fat to fight. So, the rising levels of obesity in this country are taking a serious toll, even on the American Armed Services. It was stated in the report, which was released this past spring, that this increase in obesity among the country's youth was seriously undermining the ability of America's military services to protect the country.

The report said that even those slim enough to serve were weaker and had less stamina than recruits from previous generations.  One Pentagon director told the Army Times last year, "Kids are just not able to do push-ups. And they can't do pull-ups. And they can't run."

So, some are beginning to conclude that the current obesity levels of both male and female recruits are posing a threat to America's national security.

But many of us adhere to the idea that for every negative, there is always a potential positive. So, I couldn't help but see the humorous side of things. For instance, do you think, this might be a way of ending wars. Philosophers, politicians and social scientists have always been engaged in the theory of how to end war, which is an inhumane activity that mankind imposes on itself, anyway.

So, just think, if we could increase the standard of living throughout the world, especially in what former Pres. George Bush called the Axis of Evil: Iraq, Iran and North Korea and make sure that everyone was well fed, then our so-called enemies might be less inclined to fight.

Perhaps, we've been doing it all wrong. Instead of torturing people at Guantánamo Bay and at the Abu Ghraib prison, maybe we should just feed our enemies tons of food. In this way, everyone would just get too fat to fight. This might end terrorism and the animosity that the United States faces around the world. As we feed people, there would be less reasons for them to fight, since they wouldn't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and if we give our enemies too much food, they would not be in good enough shape to fight anyway.

Instead of relying on the sale of arms and worrying about nuclear weapons causing a world threat, we can simply use our resources to give everyone food, and those nations that have held traditional animosities towards the United States could be given an excess amount of food.

Well, feeding the world is a thought and a good thought if it will end war. At worst, this country might be accused of killing everyone with kindness.

So, just think, if every person in the world could just get enough food, then, no one would go hungry.  Obesity rates would rise, as they are rising now in all industrialized countries.  Many young people of military age, like many in this country, would get too fat to fight. If this happens, then what country would need a military? Feeding everyone too much food could even lead to the end of the current military build up and the arms race around the world. After all, no nation would need a military, especially one that's in fighting shape, if everyone was just too fat to fight?