War is a force that gives us meaning
Steve Gilliard: "Our inability to respond to Al Qaeda in a meaningful way comes from this impulse to bolster the state in time of war, to embrace the myths of heroic violence." [→ READ ]
Chris Hedges’ new book, War is a force that gives us meaning, … is especially powerful [in the wake of 9/11], since he shows how the state becomes the religion of the people in wartime, how nationalism subverts honesty and common sense.
Our inability to respond to Al Qaeda in a meaningful way comes from this impulse to bolster the state in time of war, to embrace the myths of heroic violence. A myth slowly and surely coming undone in Iraq. Heroism, embraced on the thinest of pretexts, is now being revealed as sham and artifice.
[via Toby]
See also Bill Moyers’ interview with Chris Hedges.
See also my 2003-05-23 blog entry Nationalism is a force that makes us bullies about Chris’ silenced antiwar speech at Rockford College graduation.
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