Hedges writes in the Introduction that he wrote the book "not to dissuade us from war but to understand it... - so that we, who wield such massive force across the globe, see within ourselves the seeds of our own obliteration."
In the Introduction, Hedges states that he authored the book "not to dissuade us from engaging in warfare but to understand it... - so that those wielding this global might recognize the potential for self-destruction."