The United States government unveiled a non-nuclear missile to the public recently, by dropping all 11 tons of explosives onto Afghanistan.

Why do it in the first place?

Either in order to stop terror in their fleeting tracks or to show military dominance, does it matter? When it comes to the matter of terrorism, the ideas of pacifism fall short.

The target was a cave that held 94 ISIS militant targets in the Achin District of the Nangarhar province. Though it was close to the border of Pakistan, a U.S. ally, the government decided to drop the Massive Ordnance Air Bomb missile.

The M.O.A.B, a GBU-43/B missile known officially as Massive Ordinance Air Bomb, has been commonly referred to as the “Mother Of All Bombs” by the military technicians.

According to CNN, the military officials believed the cave was inhabited by ISIS members and had anywhere between 600 and 800 active fighters. Through an underground network of tunnels, government intelligence stated that there were thousands of tunnels used by ISIS soldiers to attack government operations and facilities.

Why in such a modern age should we suffer to move to such barbaric bouts of solving differences?

In today’s time that claims to be progressive in their thought process, does bombing people who disagree and terrorize a culture of people different from their own seem to fit this “progressive” mold? Throughout the course of history, people typically remember certain times better during times.

For example, one might not remember the events of the Reconstruction era post Civil War but they’ll remember the bloody rags that are draped over the Civil War.

Why?

According to the famed philosopher Aristotle, it is due to our need for catharsis. He was quoted in his book “Poetics” that catharsis is “the tragic pleasure”.

The dictionary definition defines this chaotic cornerstone of mankind as “the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.” It’s the same process used for people slowing down to watch the aftermath of a car accident on a backed up highway.

It’s a phenomenon that all of us seen on a regular basis. But when was the last time that we were consciously aware of our own actions?

The United States is not the only nation at fault in this matter. Throughout time, it has been a fact that nations that disagree with one another often seek to destroy in some from or another.

Hence, the mighty M.O.A.B.

The M.O.A.B, a GBU-43/B missile known officially as Massive Ordinance Air Bomb, has been commonly referred to as the “Mother Of All Bombs” by the military technicians.

According to CNN, the military officials believed the cave was inhabited by ISIS members and had anywhere between 600 and 800 active fighters. Through an underground network of tunnels, government intelligence stated that there were thousands of tunnels used by ISIS soldiers to attack government operations and facilities.

Though the M.O.A.B missile was only used on April 13 of this year, a prototype of the weapon was used in 2003 to show its capabilities during the beginning of the Iraq war.

Since the missile strike occurred at 7:32 p.m. Middle Eastern time, President Trump boasted only an hour after the bomb was dropped that it was , “a very, very successful mission.”

This launch fulfilled one of Trump’s earliest campaign promises when he would speak to rallies across the nation.

The President was quoted saying for many campaign crowds, “I would bomb the shit out of them.”

Not everyone was in full support over the actions of the Trump administration when it came to dropping the bomb. According to CNN correspondents, former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai claimed that the United States actions were unclear and unsanctioned.

“The United States is using Afghanistan as a testing ground for new and dangerous weapons,” Karzai said.

Citizens of the United States remain split on the decision as to whether or not the bomb should have been dropped in the first place. While some claim it to be a sign of strong action against terrorist movements, others protest that it is a showcase of unnecessary brutality against a militant country.

Echoes of patriotism have rung throughout the Capitol by majority of the Republican party as well as bits of the Democrats. Taking a tougher stance on ISIS opposition has been one of the major platforms for the new administration.

However, since the bomb dropped, so did Trump’s ratings. It sits idly at 40 percent where it once sat at 45 percent, according to a Gallup poll.

Some have attested that the usage of the M.O.A.B. was a show of military power and not as a peacekeeping mission. In fact, news sources such as Inverse have compared the bomb used last Thursday to the nuclear bombs used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“The M.O.A.B. is scary,” Inverse said, “but it can get a lot worse.”

The only issue with this comparison lies in the intentions of the dropping of these dealers of destruction. While one was used to end a war that many thought of apocalyptic in nature, the other is questionable.

Theories have been spread about whether it was used as a show of military prowess, flexing the muscles of missile defense, or possibly to stop ISIS militants from further advancements.  

But why should it get worse than an 11 ton bomb dropped on a province that eliminated only a fraction of the United States enemies? After all, if the U.S. spent the majority of its time in the arms of war and chaotic destruction, the time and efforts to further advance human progress would only fall further to the wayside.

If civilization still sees it fit to destroy any and all of those who disagree instead of coming to an understanding, can we honestly say that we are progressing as people? Millions of years have been dedicated to the idea that humankind could eventually live without the notion of self-assured destruction.

We, as humans of the same kind, stand in the crossroads of peace and pain. It’s the same fork in the road that we have stood in since the dawn of the time itself. When differences turn towards destruction, the only thing that never loses is the idea of evil.

So let peace win for a change.

Only in the face of fear do we reconcile with the destruction of those who oppose. Now it is up to the American people to see fit as to when the idea of peace may emerge as even an option in such tumultuous times.