War: Realities and Myths by Chris Hedges

[springhill]

The vanquished know war. They see through the empty jingoism of those who use the abstract words of glory, honor, and patriotism to mask the cries of the wounded, the senseless killing, war profiteering, and chest-pounding grief. They know the lies the victors often do not acknowledge, the lies covered up in stately war memorials and mythic war narratives, filled with words of courage and comradeship. They know the lies that permeate the thick, self-important memoirs by amoral statesmen who make wars but do not know war

<snip>

But the words of the vanquished come later, sometimes long after the war, when grown men and women unpack the suffering they endured as children, what it was like to see their mother or father killed or taken away, or what it was like to lose their homes, their community, their security, and be discarded as human refuse. But by then few listen. The truth about war comes out, but usually too late. We are assured by the war-makers that these stories have no bearing on the glorious violent enterprise the nation is about to inaugurate. And, lapping up the myth of war and its sense of empowerment, we prefer not to look.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/hedges.php?articleid=6294

[springhill]

1. The most amazing article........

and nobody wants to read it. Very frustrating indeed. Maybe my leader should have included a "you just have to read this!" to get peoples attention. Anyway, I hope this time around it will get the number of readers it deserves.

[bemildred]

2. OK, I read it, it's good.

But we all hate war already here.

Hang in there, it's a busy site, you posts your posts
and you takes your chances. A lot more read here than post.
Mine sink into the abyss all the time.

[mariema]

3. I read it and

copied it and saved it and emailed it to a bunch of people. I think it is an excellent piece. Hedges is one of my favorite authors.

[Geo55]

4. Just read this and came here to post it.

thanks for already doing so.
Yes , we all hate war , but Chris Hedges speaks from deep experience.

[Shadowen]

5. Don't forget pop culture.

Even movies that emphasize the brutality and viciousness of war turn battles into well-choreographed ballets. (Yes, even Saving Private Ryan is in this vein.) Bartcop recently said something I agree with--a battle is a barely-coordinated riot.

About one of the best moments I've seen in a movie that features battles is when Kingdom of Heaven cuts abruptly from the tense build in the moment before the battle...directly to the aftermath--corpses, silence, and vultures.

[patdem]

6. Excellent article about war from a man who obviously is very intimate with

his subject. Very moving.

There is a dupe that has 3 comments also, so this is not going unread. Most people read the Editorials but do not comment so, for every comment, there is probably 10 readers who do not comment.

[Catfight]

7. When people ignored FH911, I knew it was a nation that didn't really

care. People should have been outraged by the truth of that movie and sending their children to proudly die in vain for a President who didn't even serve one day of danger his entire life. It's the same people that voted proudly for Bush/Cheney and still have stickers on their cars. When they laughed at his joke about not finding the WMD's under the WH couch, and they laughed at fatPat with the purple band-aid on her chin and they believed the lies of Swiftboat liars and Cheney lying about never meeting John Edwards, I just find it hard to come to terms with feeling a sense of regret when I've regretted Bush's presence in the WH since he stole the election in 2000. Then to watch everyone involved in the thievery prosper into higher positions within government, getting medals of honor for cheating and the public doing NOTHING about it, again, what does looking back do now? Every person should be screaming every day at the steps of the WH, to their representatives to start IMPEACHMENT NOW! Then I'll begin to believe these parents of the soldiers that have died in vain will begin to see the truth and accept it, their young children died for Halliburten and oil, nothing more, nothing less and Bush/Cheney fooled you all.