War and the PAR Model

“War does not determine who is right
— only who is left.”
— Bertrand Russell

The death in Afghanistan of Cpl. Jason Bogar, the son of a friend of mine, brought home my desire to see the “Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model” applied in international conflict settings. Jason visited one of my PAR Model classes before being deployed to Iraq, then Afghanistan where he was killed. During his visit, we talked about how great it would be if we could apply the PAR Model in a military setting.

What Causes War?

There are several established theories about what causes war. One widespread theory is based on the supposition that human beings are, by nature, violent and war is thus a inevitable expression of this nature. This theory doesn't explain periods of peace, cultures which are completely devoid of war (the Amish, Ladakhi, Semai, Nubian, Mbuti), or the near-universal human belief that war is something bad and should be avoided.

The PAR Model takes a different stance by proposing that human beings are basically cooperative — and must be to survive. The violence human beings act out is a symptom of the active presence of a thought-born pathogen (a “brain bug”) that thrives in an environment of fear resulting from an experience of powerlessness.

Another school of thought proposes that, because we are animals, we compete for resources and territory like other animals do. Here again, the PAR Model differs. I suggest that humans beings are unique in that they are a hybrid between the material and conceptual, being part animal and part symbolic (I draw heavily here upon the work of Otto Rank).

Additionally, our conceptual side (sense of self, beliefs, knowledge, etc.) is evolving steadily. We are unlike any other animal in so many ways — we are aware of the certainty of our own physical death, we wear artificial skin (clothing), can conduct non-synchronous communication (voice-mail, videos, letters), and leverage the resources available to us in ways that are beyond the ability of any other organism. Again, the PAR Model posits that it is the experience of powerlessness that drives violence and war.

Left: Boys playing on an anti-aircraft
gun during World War II.

A common social theory is that war is the extension of the geopolitical process, probably best exemplified by Carl von Clausewitz's statement, “War is the continuation of policy by other means.” While this may be true, it is — again — symptomatic of a deeper issue: individual and collective fear resulting from an experience of powerlessness. In politics, this fear is often amplified by political leaders as part of a process of manipulating the general population to undertake wars which — inevitably — kill their young, cost them money, and otherwise wreak havoc upon the quality of their lives.

The Evolution of War

The nature of war has changed dramatically over the last 200 years. It has shifted from a focus upon upon masses of troops, to efficient and massive firepower, to sophisticated maneuvering, to a new, complex, borderless, networked, form called “Phase IV” or “fourth generation” war. No longer are the most troops, best weapons, and most sophisticated maneuvering enough to prevail in a war.

To end war, we must develop a more in-depth understanding of the roots of violence and its expression in international settings, become more responsive to the need to relieve or mitigate the experienced power-deficiency of those pursuing and perpetuating war, and apply new, innovative, evidence-based approaches to eliminate the malignancy of violence which results in war. Lt. Col. Thomas X. Hammes, writing in the Marine Corps Gazette, notes that “The strategic approach and tactical techniques of fourth generation warfare will require major changes in the way we educate, employ, structure, and train forces.” I agree. The PAR Model is at the center of one such initiative to do just that.

A Revolution In Thinking

Both the PAR Model and the new approaches to dealing with fourth generation warfare are examples of opportunities to reduce and eliminate warfare. I'll explore this further in a coming blog on applying the PAR Model.