What would happen if we put an end to war?

Key Insights

If you had the chance to press a button and end war worldwide, would you do it? How would a global embrace of peace transform our world, and how would we navigate the realization of world peace?

To begin, we must first clarify what we mean by "war." Philosophers and politicians have spent centuries grappling with this term, but for the sake of this article, we’ll focus solely on a state of armed conflict between nations or states, leaving aside broader concepts like "the war on drugs" or "the war on poverty."

Now, imagine you press that mythical button, and war as we know it becomes an impossibility. Would it be time to don flowers in our hair and dance through the streets? What would come next?

At the outset, it’s important to note that the world’s military forces wouldn’t become obsolete overnight. These forces perform various duties beyond just combat, such as border security, disaster relief, and handling civil disturbances. However, if global peace meant the end of even the potential for conflict, these militaries would quickly become overstaffed, overfunded, and overstocked with resources.

Currently, the total military spending around the globe exceeds $2 trillion [source: GlobalSecurity.org]. In 2007, the U.S. led the world in military spending, with an annual expenditure of approximately $741 billion, or 5.2% of its GDP [source: GlobalSecurity.org]. The end of war could mean that heavily militarized nations such as the U.S., China, and India would be able to cut back on spending or reallocate these funds for other priorities.

But what about employment? Armies are, after all, made up of people. In 2010, over 1.4 million people were employed by the U.S. military, with an additional 833,000 reservists [source: Reich]. Furthermore, 1.6 million Americans worked in industries supporting the military. Without the threat of war, many of these individuals would need to find new roles within society.

Next, let’s consider the issue of death. According to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, roughly 378,000 people died each year due to war between 1985 and 1994. Meanwhile, during this period, the global population grew from about 4.8 billion to 5.6 billion. While people would still pass away from accidents, homicides, and suicides at typical rates, the absence of war would likely have a modest impact on global population levels.

And just think of all the free time we’d have.

Countries Without Armies

Is a world without war achievable? There are valid arguments on both sides: some believe war is an inevitable part of human nature, while others argue that it is a problem that can be addressed and solved.

International military conflict doesn't have a singular cause, but instead emerges from a range of factors. Some biologists suggest that war may be rooted in our inherent territorial and aggressive instincts. How can we address this, unless we somehow evolve into a new species? Others attribute the cause of war to human reason, in both its lack and its excess. Could war instead be a cultural practice, like raising families, that people in society engage in?

In a speech delivered in 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, asserted that peace in the world relies on peace within ourselves; the global conflicts of war stem from the chaos within the human mind. In line with this, spiritual teacher Ekhart Tolle foresees that as the human mind evolves, it will become less self-centered, ushering in an era of peace.

For now, though, we can look to nations that have distanced themselves not only from war but also its related influences. By 2011, 19 independent countries had eliminated standing armies, including Costa Rica, which became the first to abolish its military in 1948, keeping only a domestic security force.

However, Costa Rica’s Fuerza Pública (Public Force) requested a budget of nearly $293 million in 2007 and employs thousands of citizens. It may not be a formal army, but that budget is about three times the military spending of neighboring Nicaragua. Additionally, Costa Rica has accepted military aid in the past to combat the drug trade, approving a measure in 2010 to allow U.S. forces to bring in 46 warships and 7,000 troops.

Despite this, Costa Rica's decision to demilitarize has allowed its government to invest more in education and environmental conservation. In 2010, the New Economics Foundation ranked Costa Rica ahead of every other country in its Happy Planet Index.

What would happen if war were to cease? Based on what we know, it seems that life would continue on quite well without it. If we start yearning for the days of conflict, we have an abundance of war-themed books, films, plays, songs, and video games to indulge that craving.