War and Militarism

On January 7^th, we took a look at militarism and its impact on a society. Participants gave a veritable laundry list of war and militarism's past, present, and potential future effects on our nation - many of them illustrated with reference to the current conflict in Iraq... and all of them negative. At the top of the list was the horrible cost of war in both blood and treasure. One member asserted that "we haven't even begun to pay the price yet" for the war in Iraq, or indeed for what he viewed as several decades of militarism. It was felt that non-military uses of our resources - from ensuring safe drinking water to building Louisville's bridges - had and would continue to suffer as a result of our government's dedication to building (and exercising) military might. And yet, one of the effects of war is a severely weakened military. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to wear down both people and equipment, rebuilding our military strength - while meeting all of our other needs - might require both significantly raised taxes and a draft at some point in the future.

In the meantime, lives are lost, loved ones grieve, and some of those who make it home from a war zone continue to suffer from physical and psychological injuries. Nor is the damage limited to those who've served - problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, delayed stress syndrome, homelessness, substance abuse, suicide, spousal abuse, etc., can both negatively impact loved ones and neighbors, and impose a high cost on society at large. For a few, the knowledge of what they themselves have done is the greatest burden; one of our number reported that some of those who have deserted have done so because they came to no longer "know themselves" after committing horrific acts of violence. Another observed how easy it is to become de-sensitized to violence. When he wondered whether this could happen to entire societies, many felt that it could, and none said that it could not.

We even began to build a case that militarism could threaten two of the basic principles of our nation - freedom and democracy. It was observed that militarism "has a tendency to empower federal authorities," restricting some of our freedoms and granting government a greater role in what was once considered personal. We also spoke for a while about President Eisenhower's farewell address, in which he warned about the threats our democratic society could face from the rising power of the "military-industrial complex."

As might be expected, much of the conversation centered around our uncertainties and anxieties about the situation in Iraq. One member expressed ambivalence about whether we should have invaded, and many expressed ambivalence about what should be done now. Once again, the prospect of a regional conflict was raised, this time spurred in part by reported warnings from Saudi Arabia. Such a conflict could disrupt oil flows to the rest of the world, which, in turn, could cause a downturn in the world's economies.

On the other hand, some hope (if not optimism) was expressed that crisis (or crises) might lead to new levels of cooperation in regard to settling international differences and developing sustainable methods of meeting the world's energy needs. Indeed, it was asserted that the world might be ready for a "great turning" toward cooperation and away from the conflict that has plagued the human race since the agricultural revolution. Wikis and Cofound itself were put forth as examples of institutions that create community in modern life - community that might lay the foundation for greater change to come. One member, however, felt that creating community was not enough, and that a Marxist critique and concomitant determined effort to remove the elements that create alienation within our new communities was in order.

As we spoke about our hopes and fears for the future, one subject seemed to lay at the heart of both: the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The membership of the nuclear club is no longer as exclusive as it once was, and there are more nations trying to get in - some not so friendly to the United States or their allies. Are we doomed to nuclear holocaust, or can new levels of international trust and cooperation eventually bring nuclear proliferation under control? Join us, 3 PM, January 21^st at the City Café as we examine this question.