Better Warring

 Wars are nasty things when one faction, forces and threatens another faction to bend to its domination. I maintain that the warring folk are going about it all the wrong way. If you want to charm another country or group to go your way, as is said, "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". That saying is all wrong, too, of course, because if you have an influx of fruit flies in your home, for example, you get out the nice red wine vinegar, pour it into a little jar with a tiny  hole in it big enough for a fly, and it's a fly trap. It is very effective and all the little insects have smiles on their faces having consumed large amounts of their favorite nectar. People are not flies, and you have to convince them in a better way. If one country, a mythical one, for these purposes, is it not better for it to find a way that doesn't involve putting a lot of military time, effort, people and money  to charm away the folks you want to conquer? It makes more sense to tempt your enemies and avoid the blood shed and all sorts of destructive behaviours that only hurts both sides. A potential conqueror might offer a package that is so good, it makes the former enemy, want to join up. For example, you can put forth a much more advantageous situation than the one that the other side is in. You could work hard at making the offer convince your former opponents of such a better lifestyle and future than the one they alread thought they had, they want yours. It can't cost more than warring. Few people could deny that upgrading their lives and  making them feel safer and more hopeful and joyous than the ones they struggle in currently would be nice. Most of what we call patriotism lies in an ideal existence that is beneficial rather than aggressive or  punitive, thus flag waving and pointing out heroes is mainly to show how great life has been and that one wants to continue down that pathway. It hasn't much to do with a piece of cloth but rather what it represents and that it is desirable to continue remembering it in the colours on that fabric. Patriotism  has to do with the word "pater" or father and in describing that strength which includes mother and father or that of a family. Family is a place of safety and security. Too bad war can't be turned into generous power, love, a much stronger than military force that causes humans to flee.