Acid Soup for the Soul
Bill Moyers talks to New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges about the nature of war and its corrosive effect on the soul. Hedges was a self-described war junkie for many years, never feeling quite so alive as when he was in a war zone with the adrenaline pumping. At some point, he apparently realized what had happened to him and stopped. He makes the point quite clearly that people who have been through war hate war in a way that nobody else quite can. He also says that war destroys what is good within us and in our society. I think that’s the thing that bothers me the most about our headlong rush to war; we as Americans are becoming that which we claim to despise. In the name of preserving our liberties, we discard them. We had to destroy the village to save the village. In attacking others for their sins, we destroy what makes us worthy.
Hedges was with the Marines in Gulf War I, and he says they hated the rah-rah cheerleaderish media like CNN. It may provide decent ratings, but such behavior betrays a total lack of understanding of what war is like and what it does.
I suppose as a result it should be no surprise that our war-mongering Resident should have such a spotty, appalling military record that included a year spent AWOL from his Reserve unit at the height of the Vietnam War. A true leader with experience of the genuine article would be more hesitant and more aware of the consequences. But then, nobody ever accused Dubya of self-awareness. (Link found via Stavros the Wonder Chicken.)
Posted at 9:17 AM