Just War -- A National Celebration of the Myth of Redemptive Violence

I know that on these so-called Patriotic holidays, I'm supposed to turn off my brain and gush with feeling and pride about our national fetish of violence and "support our troops" by spouting jingoistic nonsense. But I won't do it, and if that offends you, deal with it or delete me.

If we really supported our troops, we would be very careful how we use them. If we really supported out troops, we would bring them all home, and rarely use them. They would be the "good China" of the "good silverware" that is only used on special occasions, or that is never used, but only pondered about being used on very special occasions. They would be "the good scissors" that no one is allowed to touch, let alone use.

If we really supported our troops and respected our veterans, one veteran would not commit suicide every twenty minutes. Three hundred thousand veterans would not be homeless. 

The fact is, on Veterans Day we don't celebrate veterans, we don't support our troops, we celebrate violence and war. I will not celebrate war -- any war! I will not celebrate violence -- any violence! And I will not say that soldiers died to protect my freedoms because they have not. They died for political ends and expedience. 

In fact, every war we ever fought, including the American Revolution, has been because we felt our business was being disrupted and/or we saw an opportunity to expand business (ala War of 1812, World War I), or somebody had something we wanted and we went in and took it (ala Mexican War, Spanish American War, Gulf Wars). There were two wars to contain Communism and World War II had some unique features, but none of them had anything to do with protecting freedoms in America, and they had very little to do with protecting freedom anywhere else. The only war we ever fought in which American freedoms were at stake was the Civil War and we used our troops to crush the Southern States' "American" way of life and freedoms.

I'm willing to accept that with a fallen humanity living in a world that may or may not have fallen with us (Jurgen Moltmann and I argued about creation being fallen) that war may sometimes be a necessary evil. But it is always an evil, and it is seldom as necessary as we like to pretend. 

I know this all makes me a bad American. I know this makes me un-Patriotic. But I don't see what is so American or Patriotic about throwing our blood and our treasure at problems we can usually solve with other means if only we had the faith and courage to actually stand for the principles we say we stand for. The Spartans were patriotic and valued their military above all other things, and they were very selective about how they used their military, and they were involved in very few wars. That is honoring the troops!

So I'll take the epithets of "Bad American" and "unpatriotic" because, frankly, I would rather be a good Christian than a good American. My Lord tells me that there is no room for violence. He tells me that I am not to resist evil, I am not to respond to violence with violence, and Saint Paul tells me that I am to overcome evil by doing good. War is not good. War is not Christian. War is not just. War is not moral. 

When we tolerate the idea of a "just" war, then that is all we are left with -- we are left with just war. Perpetual warfare is the price we have to pay to keep the mythology alive that says violence can be redemptive, that war can be moral, that violence serve justice and the rule of law. War is just rich people fighting over greed and using the powerless to fight and die for that greed. 

I support the troops. That is why I say: Bring them home. Give them good jobs. Make sure they have access to education and health care, and psychological counseling so they will stop committing suicide in such high numbers, and make sure they all have food and shelter. And then we need to make sure we create a world in which we never, or almost never, use them again. That is supporting our troops. Using them as a hammer to drive every nail is not supporting our troops, it is objectifying our troops and using them as a utility. 

So, if we must celebrate Veterans Day, then let's do it by celebrating Veterans and not celebrating war. Let's give veterans what we are telling them they are fighting for. Let's make our troops the good china or the good scissors. Let's go down by the riverside and not study war no more.

Reviews

[icelandicblue]

What our troops sacrifice must be supported at home. There is a lot to do with regard to the physical and mental health of those who come home. When I was growing up there used to be a commercial "Don't forget hire a vet." Words are empty we do need action and I do not think that it is unpatriotic to criticize the lack of programs or funding for our returning vets. We owe them everything and they should not be forgotten just because they have stepped back on their own shores. We should thank them by our deeds, our social programs not just with mere platitudes. I wish that I could embrace all you say I cannot. I am not a war monger nor am I a pacifist. I don't think anyone in their right mind wants war. The two world wars were different animals than those fought in the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of this one. In a perfect world it would be the perfect solution but as long as women and children are dying by chemical weapons and countries crush their people because they speak their voices then someone needs to stand up. I wish the world would stand up with us more often but everyone has their own agendas. We may be more global but we do not think of ourselves as citizens of the same planet. There has been much damage done in the name of religion, the Crusades for instance, and that legacy plagues us today. If everyone played by the same rules it would be possible but until then we will have soldiers, we must support them and we must do right by them when they come home everyone, soldiers and civilians deserve to live in dignity. I do not believe, even for a moment that Veteran's Day is a day to celebrate war...I think you are mistaken there. Not once have I reveled in the battles of previous wars but instead I have turned my thoughts to the men and women who were there and will bear that burden for the rest of their lives. Thank you for speaking your heart...and thank a soldier that you can do so.