Eve of Destruction

While reading over the lyrics of the different songs, I thought back to The Fog of War and McNamara's last point on the stubbornness of human nature. The two songs that left the greatest impression on me was "Eve of Destruction" and "Masters of War." The two songs included various explicit statements reflecting the artist's anti-war stance.

"You're old enough to kill but not for votin'." In "Eve of Destruction," Barry McGuire sings of the disastrous path the world is taking by entering so many wars and fighting so much. Boys in their teens are being sent off to a war, a war that perhaps they do not even support yet they have no say in because they are still underage. Although the leader's of the country are trying to take steps to appease the public, hatred for others runs deep and it is impossible to satisfy everybody. This inescapable hatred causes human respect to fall apart and lose validity. Human nature is the cause of all of this ruin, and no matter how hard people may try to get rid of the bitterness and anger, it's all always still going to remain. Human nature cannot be changed, as stated by Robert McNamara.

"You've thrown the worst fear / That can ever be hurled." Bob Dylan's anti-war song, "Masters of War" is powerful in stating the major human flaws that bring about war. Those who are in control in countries give out orders that must be filled and behind the safety of their power, they placate the population through deceit, convincing the people that all is well and the increases in deaths are bringing about victory. The spreading of lies to cover the horrors of war is brought to the forefront, and Dylan can see right past the lies. Lies and deceit, terrible human flaws, can never result in good in the long run.

Passionate hate and anger between humans has brought about war in the past and the present, and this human imperfection cannot be mended. Though the two songs do not explicitly state this fact, they definitely still bring up the fact that humans are on a destructive path that cannot lead to any good, only more death and ruin.