Saturday, August 13, 2005
Why do men glorify war?
Do you think we'd have as many wars if men in the current generation would tell the next generation what war is really like? Do you think we would be at war if the Viet Nam Viets actually were taken seriously when they protest the war when they came home? Why is it that the public would rather hear about the wonderful sacrifices and noble acts of men in wartime than the truth about the horrific cost in human lives?
War is hell. Someone famous (who I should know but am too lazy to go look it up right now) said so and people remember the remark. It's quoted all of the time. But people don't seem to remember why it's hell. They would rather remember the propaganda about war it seems.
Men want to remember things like honor, duty,bravery, courage. They want to defend rights, right wrongs, champion the downtrodden. They feed on the words, and imagine themselves exhibiting all of those noble characteristics. They feel heroic. That is until they actually experience it. They find out that war is dirt, grime, boredom and killing. War is waged by soldiers drilled not to think about what they do.
War is waged first on a phychological level , while training the troops to suspend their morality and live with killing and death as a part of the way things are done. The enemy isn't human, or isn't rational or is a threat to our way of life. Protect. Defend. Kill. It's pounded into the soldier's head so that nothing else matters. There is nothing but the urge to follow orders and do what you are told.
War is easy to wage when you don't have to look in the eye of the person you are killing. War is easy to support when you sit behind a desk and read a paper on the results of this attack or that. War is clean and neat when no one is allowed to see the pictures of the troops who died for the "cause" - whatever it happens to be at the time. War is easy to support when the blood isn't on your hands.
But then, occsionally, someone in the depth of war, wakes up and looks around and sees what war really is.
War is brutal. Ask former Marine Sgt. Massey.
I e-mailed myself a column from this mornings Miami Herald that I would like to share with you.
This Story has been sent to you by : sueanncamp@yahoo.comIraq veteran haunted by horrors of warFor 12 years, Jimmy Massey believed in war. He was a soldier, and the depth of his commitment did not allow for ideas that undercut the central premise of his life's work.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/ana_menendez/12373005.htm
(c) 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
Maybe if more men like Massey come forward people will understand that there is no glory in war.
War is hell. Someone famous (who I should know but am too lazy to go look it up right now) said so and people remember the remark. It's quoted all of the time. But people don't seem to remember why it's hell. They would rather remember the propaganda about war it seems.
Men want to remember things like honor, duty,bravery, courage. They want to defend rights, right wrongs, champion the downtrodden. They feed on the words, and imagine themselves exhibiting all of those noble characteristics. They feel heroic. That is until they actually experience it. They find out that war is dirt, grime, boredom and killing. War is waged by soldiers drilled not to think about what they do.
War is waged first on a phychological level , while training the troops to suspend their morality and live with killing and death as a part of the way things are done. The enemy isn't human, or isn't rational or is a threat to our way of life. Protect. Defend. Kill. It's pounded into the soldier's head so that nothing else matters. There is nothing but the urge to follow orders and do what you are told.
War is easy to wage when you don't have to look in the eye of the person you are killing. War is easy to support when you sit behind a desk and read a paper on the results of this attack or that. War is clean and neat when no one is allowed to see the pictures of the troops who died for the "cause" - whatever it happens to be at the time. War is easy to support when the blood isn't on your hands.
But then, occsionally, someone in the depth of war, wakes up and looks around and sees what war really is.
War is brutal. Ask former Marine Sgt. Massey.
I e-mailed myself a column from this mornings Miami Herald that I would like to share with you.
This Story has been sent to you by : sueanncamp@yahoo.comIraq veteran haunted by horrors of warFor 12 years, Jimmy Massey believed in war. He was a soldier, and the depth of his commitment did not allow for ideas that undercut the central premise of his life's work.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/ana_menendez/12373005.htm
(c) 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
Maybe if more men like Massey come forward people will understand that there is no glory in war.
Comments:
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Men glorify war so we can do what is necessary. If we told everyone that war is not something you wanna do.
No one would fight. Good would not triumph over evil.
Nice guys finish last. Evil men are never killed off. Good men are assassinated. Look at JFK, Martin Luther King Jr. Ghandi, and even Jesus Christ.
All were good people, and all were murdered. All good men die, and evil people live on because the good will forgive them. The bad will always kill them for that.
If we did not glorify war. We would lose. Good would not triumph over the Wicked.
It is bad to lie to soldiers, but it must be done. Sometimes to stop something, you must become more like it.
No one would fight. Good would not triumph over evil.
Nice guys finish last. Evil men are never killed off. Good men are assassinated. Look at JFK, Martin Luther King Jr. Ghandi, and even Jesus Christ.
All were good people, and all were murdered. All good men die, and evil people live on because the good will forgive them. The bad will always kill them for that.
If we did not glorify war. We would lose. Good would not triumph over the Wicked.
It is bad to lie to soldiers, but it must be done. Sometimes to stop something, you must become more like it.
The age old confrontation of good vs evil. Though it is very true in our world. Human wants, needs and nitty gritty selfish heart often clouds reason and judgment. Ask yourself this, who are you to know what is right and what is wrong? One man's right is another man's wrong.
I disagree with the need to glorify war, I however am a strong believer in the necessity of war in certain situations. But war should not be glorified, such lies will promote unguided violence. The dehumanization of human beings has killed more people in the course of war, then battlefields themselves.
The perfect war may never happen, I define this perfection as a professional duel between soldiers. But we should not give up to uphold such figurative honor.
To become that something to fight that something is a lost cause. Only light can fight dark, not dark against dark.
War is essentially evil, the intent of war is what determines whether it's justified or not. This "intent" is what should be bashed into the heads of soldiers, not some dream glory of battle.
I disagree with the need to glorify war, I however am a strong believer in the necessity of war in certain situations. But war should not be glorified, such lies will promote unguided violence. The dehumanization of human beings has killed more people in the course of war, then battlefields themselves.
The perfect war may never happen, I define this perfection as a professional duel between soldiers. But we should not give up to uphold such figurative honor.
To become that something to fight that something is a lost cause. Only light can fight dark, not dark against dark.
War is essentially evil, the intent of war is what determines whether it's justified or not. This "intent" is what should be bashed into the heads of soldiers, not some dream glory of battle.
War is inherently vile. I hate it as a woman because I have to deal with it like all the men in my life who won't clean, sweep or clean. Lazy louses all of them, looking for glory, sponging off women. I for one am sick of them and their self-indulgent attitude Bloody well they will eat but won't clean up.
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