Unnecessary Wars

The world is awash with a series of wars,
Many occurring without a just cause;
Some people decide that they want to seize power,
Which they know that their government will not allow.
They've got some ideas that they want to promote,
But they're also aware that they'd lose any vote.
So they start a rebellion, and it's not long before
The country's involved in a grim civil war.
Or countries start arguing over some land,
Intemperate words mean the flames are soon fanned
Both sides of the border, and things become hot,
And someone is foolish and fires the first shot;
And so a war starts, when the two might have found,
A peaceful solution for that bit of ground.
Or problems arise in connection with trade,
With a great many loud accusations being made,
Till one party acting most likely on pride
Without too much thought on things comes to decide
That they will lose face if they try to make peace,
And people's respect for them afterwards will cease.
And so they attack when a few minutes' pause
Would show that this was the most foolish of wars.
And they could have sat at a table and talked
If hotheads from both hadn't constantly baulked
At finding a peaceful solution to end
Their problems and thus change from foe into friend.
Then there are wars that result from man's greed,
When people and countries want more than they need,
Invading their neighbours, to take what is theirs,
Secure in the knowledge that nobody cares
To take on the powerful, who thus get away
With actions that vary from black through to grey.
So many wars today would not take place
If only throughout all the world 'twas the case
That people sat down and discussed it all first;
With far fewer wars would the earth then be cursed