Busting War Myths

[davidswanson]

Swanson the War Myth-Buster
by Ralph Lopez

Since Helen of Troy many people have suspected that most purported reasons for war are really just the excuse, and that wars are rarely fought for the reasons stated. In "War is a Lie" David Swanson carves himself a monumental task: to prove the truth of this in every historical instance for which background is available. He accomplishes his task, with a weight of evidence which can only be described as devastating. Swanson sets forth a deceptively simple yet provocative thesis: War is never the only choice, and always the worst one.

Perhaps not since Mark Twain's "War Prayer" or General Smedley D. Butler's "War is a Racket" has a voice cut through the well-practiced, frequently recycled seductions of war to focus clearly on the unimaginable human suffering which are its cost. As with Chomsky, no amount of dissembling over attempts to avoid civilian casualties forgives the grim accounting of lives, limbs, eyes, and lost minds which fill the ledgers utterly predictably.

Of course the acid test for Swanson's thesis is the so-called "Good War" (he argues convincingly there is no such thing,) World War II, in which the magnitude of evil being opposed was visible for all on the world stage. Swanson brings out many little-known facts of history such as the Western powers', including the United States' and the UK's, shameful refusal to raise immigration quotas as Hitler first sought to expel the Jewish population. The author also concisely outlines the role of U.S financiers in assisting the rise of Nazism, including the 43rd president's grandfather, Senator Prescott Bush. Whether or not one believes Swanson makes his case in this most hideous of conflicts in which 75 million people, mostly civilians, died, he leaves you with plenty to think about.

In all, Swanson provokes, smashes myths which long needed to be smashed, and places the reader in a position to perhaps reflect on a new world order, rather than war, which is nothing but the old one. Here is the real value of the book. Let Swanson's scholarship and clear moral compass sound a death-knell for an institution which should long ago have gone the way of open chattell slavery, with the same good riddance by all.

[LWolf]

1. Sounds like good reading for the season of "peace on earth, good will, etc." nt

[davidswanson]

4. what ever happened to peace on earth

asked willie nelson

[GSLevel9]

7. peace isn't profitable... silly you. ;) nt

[LWolf]

15. I remember. nt

[Catherina]

2. Rec'd. Excellent work David n/t

[wildbilln864]

3. K&R! nt

[sabrina 1]

5. This says it all about 'collateral damage'

Perhaps not since Mark Twain's "War Prayer" or General Smedley D. Butler's "War is a Racket" has a voice cut through the well-practiced, frequently recycled seductions of war to focus clearly on the unimaginable human suffering which are its cost. As with Chomsky, no amount of dissembling over attempts to avoid civilian casualties forgives the grim accounting of lives, limbs, eyes, and lost minds which fill the ledgers utterly predictably.

It's absolutely abhorrent the way they try to dismiss the slaughter of innocents by using these phrases like 'collateral damage' to describe the horrific murder of men, women and children and no one should allow the use of such language to try to excuse this slaughter.

If people want to support these crimes, then they should have to look at what it is they are supporting. The sanitization of war is in itself a crime. It is the equivalent of a murderer trying to hide the body.

Sounds like a book worth reading.

[The Doctor.]

6. I can imagine the 1000s of hours this must have taken.

A very worthy piece of work, and an excellent review.

I'll be sure to pick one up.

[TZ]

8. I think the six million relatives of mine

who died in WW2 would disagree with Mr. Swanson. You know, I'm pretty peaceful, but when I read crap like this knowing that my family was murdered and there were people here in the US that don't acknowledge that people like HIM kept the US from interfering with Hitler's genocide PISSES ME OFF. Everything Swanson says here actually makes the case that not only was WW2 necessary but that the US should HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED SOONER.
But fuck that. People who die in other countries don't matter do they? WHAT THE FUCK EVER HAPPENED TO THE CONCEPT OF NEVER FORGET?
War is unpleasant. But Genocide is even more so. Ask the Bosnians about that...Or the Kurds. Or the Tibetans. Yay! Up with oppression and murder!

[davidswanson]

9. read the book

i think you'll stop cursing 50 pages or so in

here's a teaser: 70 million of our relatives died in WWII, a war that had nothing to do with trying to save, and did not save, the particular 6 million you have in mind

[madrchsod]

10. in case i forgot...here`s a

to you....

now i`m going to break down and read your book.

[davidswanson]

14. i hope you

like it

[gratuitous]

11. So sorry, the only people competent to comment on war are military

And the only military folks who get to comment on war are the supporters. Thanks for playing, but here in the Land of the High Church of Redemptive Violence, we know that war is unequivocally good. Violence is the only known force for subduing and driving out violence. Any residual violence is to be summarily dealt with by the application of more violence. Lost lives, limbs, eyes and minds are not a bug, they're a feature of war, as are the profits to be gathered by some. It's a fair trade, perhaps even a non-zero sum trade, as the lucky "some" are rarely in a position where they might lose a life, limb, eye or mind.

[KG]

13. + infinity

[sam sarrha]

12. Bu$g43 said that he started the Iraq War because all War Presidents were successful, has an IQ of 90

[olegramps]

16. I believe it would be difficult to justify the United States not entering WWII.

It must be remembered that Japan attacked us and that Germany declared war on the United States. Hitler and Mussolini were determined to rule the entirety of Europe. London was being bombarded with no regard for the innocent children who were maimed and killed. We are aware of the American scoundrels who aided the Nazis to line their pockets and then made fortunes from the war. They spawned one of the most evil families to dominate politics, the Bush monsters.