A Warring Nation
Sometime ago, following an interview with Dr. Christina Romer, the chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers on Meet the Press I haphazardly listed the figurative and real wars waged in this country in the last 100 years which is to say, only last 4 generations:
The War on Journalism, the War on Christmas, the War on Terror, the War in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan, the Kosovo War, the Persian Gulf War, the military invasions of Panama, Grenada and Bay of Pigs, the War on Drugs, the War on Poverty, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, WWII, WWI, Philippine-American War .
Without a pause or a blink and with the benevolent smile of a good-natured aunt, Dr. Romer agreed with Warren Buffet’s dooming diagnosis. In a day, what was known as an economic crisis is now referred to as “economic-war”. In her chirpy, upbeat voice punctuated by assertive nods, she called the chain of desperate government measures to halt an utter collapse of the economic order as we know it - “a wonderful battle”.
In the midst of the War on Terror, the unfinished War on Drugs, with physical military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan (presently spilling into Pakistan), the thoughtlessness with which the American press turns “war” into an American meme is off-putting. Adding to my sense of unease is the full list of United States military history which on a close examination showcases that not a single decade has gone by without America being at war abroad and in its early days at home or more accurately, what became its home turf following armed assault and engagement.
The terminology of “war” as applied in an attempt to solve the nation’s social problems, was first introduced by Lyndon B. Johnson who declared War on Poverty in 1964. As president, he was also responsible for escalating the Vietnam conflict into a full fledged war following the events in the Gulf of Tonkin. Since, emblematic wars of all kind appear to be springing about as a matter of fact. Richard Nixon, no doubt wanting to replicate the initial support and momentum of the War on Poverty, applied the term to War on Drugs in 1969. The War on Terror initiated by president G. W. Bush after September 11th 2001 is another one without a foreseeable end. Eight years after the destruction of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks have been taking place across Africa, the middle East, south west Asia, Europe and Russia and it is now generally accepted that terrorism cannot be contained or fought with traditional military tactics; 40 years since the War on Drugs - illicit substances of abuse and the related crime have not disappeared from the United States, instead in its escalation, the problem of drug trafficking north and gun trafficking south has brought the neighboring country of Mexico to its knees and bloated the US prison population beyond sustainability; 45 years since the War on Poverty - still anywhere between 12%-17% of Americans struggle to feed their families in a country of plenty which boasts the world’s highest GDP .
Yet time and time again, whenever progress in any one of America’s ongoing wars is assessed, a trite and predictable question echoes in the media - “Are we winning?” It is interesting to note, that the only generally acknowledged defeat in the continuous string of America’s historical military battles, is Vietnam. Culturally, in line with the national delusion of grandeur and the idea of American Exceptionalism it appears that a lack of success - is not perceived as an outright failure. Perhaps this is the reason why president G. W. Bush could insist for years that American troops were making progress in Iraq. As long as the boots stayed on the ground and the country did not pulverize itself in sectarian struggle - American occupying forces “did not lose” and therefore by simpleton’s logic - were winning.
The United State’s propensity towards war is well documented by great scholars like Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky and Chalmers Johnson . Their combined books and essays on the topics of permanent war economy, the military industrial complex and Pax Americana speak loud and clear. The pervasive and gratuitous usage of “war” as a metaphor for struggle underscores what I believe is a deeply entrenched American phenomenon not dated, but recurring and highlighted daily in the headlines. Most recent such examples hot off the press are from Local New Jersey News: Morris County contest wages war on waistlines and the Delta Democrat Times: Relay for Life helps fund war on cancer.
The receptiveness with which the US citizenry rallies towards a cause and rolls up their sleeves in order to tackle challenges head on is admirable. It is reminiscent of the early days of the Republic and the somewhat mutated but very well alive spirit of Go West Young Man. Sadly the effects of expansionist settlement on native population were always neglected in the fervor of nationalist pride and “can do” sentiment. American history was and to this day still is written by the hands of white men, in the past conquerors and colonizers, men who adhered to the idea of Manifest Destiny and in recent history those who subscribe to the doctrine of Interventionism. The colloquial acceptance of “war” in all its possible permutations in the American speech and comfort with which the public accepts and never critically rejects this formal abuse point to the fact that “war” is more than an issue of foreign policy, it is in fact a national state of mind and a widespread common mentality.