Nature vs. Nurture

So I thought that Ghahramani's nature vs. nurture conflict was going to last only one chapter, but it doesn't. It's really a theme throughout the entire book. But only this time, she's explicitly talking about war.

"There could be no two ways of thinking about young Iranian men killed in this war; there was nothing ambiguous about death on the battlefield. This conflict contradicted the well-known saying 'My enemy's enemy is my friend." P. 10-11

There's just one side to war. Not the good ones and the bad ones and the neutral ones (which is what always happens in the "real" world, and armed conflict), but just simply, those who kill, and those who don't. She seems very calm, and detached. Her words are strong, but her feelings are dull.

"...there was nothing ambiguous about death on the battlefield." P.11

She just says it directly and without any kind of distracting pronouns or verbs or adjectives. In a very straightforward manner, she claims "I know war. I know what this is about. I understand war."

This is nurture. She nurtured herself to believe that there is only one side to war: death. But such a strong topic in such a neutral tone is something that she achieves during the rest of her story.

She's already in her cell, and discussed various perspectives as to what's good and what's not. Chapter Thirteen.

She's handed a blindfold through her cell's door, meaning she's going to move, or going to be interrogated.

"The guard pushes me forward. 'No talking,' he says.
Abruptly, I stop. I stand motionless in what I know to be the corridor. My legs won't move. Somehow, my senses tell me that we are not following the regular route to the interrogation room. The guard nudges me, but I remain motionless. Animal instinct has paralyzed me." P.108-109

Animal instinct has paralyzed her. Once again, nature has beat her.

I'm starting to believe we will never be able to beat our nature. Times of desperation will be those that create instability not just for individuals in the world, but to the world itself. It's what has lead us to be who we are and the situation we're in.

Maybe peace is unobtainable.

I wonder how Switzerland does it.

How do they manage to have no army?