Perspectives

“Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. … No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” —James Madison. “Political Observations,” from 1795.

Arguably, the only “justifiable” war America fought in the 20th century was World War II. The rest, our soldiers died in vain. I am researching America’s wars, from America’s inception to now and have identified four wars in our 200-plus years of existence that were “justifiable” from a national perspective.

The Revolutionary War created America and the War of 1812 confirmed that establishment. Our Civil War maintained the union, and in WWII, the nation responded to a clear threat (and attack) from Japan and Germany. The rest of America’s wars were sold to the nation as morally justifiable and necessary to the nation’s security. But that is deceit.

How is it our nation, of all the nations on the planet, is constantly at war? I ask that question in all sincerity. Since WWII, America has been in one conflict after another. Why is that? Since 1848, since the Mexican-American War, America has clearly, unmistakably, been an imperialistic nation. We cannot remake our past although many attempt (see modern revisionism of why the Confederacy seceded), but must our past be our future?

America is a meddlesome, imperialistic nation for any number of explainable reasons. We’ve arrived at where we are — a militaristic, aggressive power — one unfortunate step at a time. Our political leadership is both weak and corrupted. We, as a people, have bought into the illusion that militarism and aggression are required for our national security and prosperity. We feel we are the anointed “ones” and as such have an obligation to police the world for the world’s benefit. If not for America, then who, it is argued.

Ah, the white man’s burden. What a cliché we Americans have become.

This past Sunday, I was in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art wandering through room after room of art from empires once powerful, now gone. I was reminded of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous words, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” Is America somehow immune to the forces of history that brought low the once mighty and powerful? If you believe that, well as they say, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that ….

I have enough hope (unwarranted confidence?) to believe that America can overcome its militaristic condition of being in the “forever war.” I am not overly optimistic, however.

For some 70 years now, extremely powerful financial interests and a vested military establishment (with an unthinking and compliant electorate) have set the nation’s agenda regarding war (either preparing for war or at war). Either we redirect the nation and its resources to ends other than militarism or we will inexorably slide into that dustbin of history of the once powerful, imperialistic nations.

Over the next two months, I will explore how America has arrived at this juncture and how we might politically extricate ourselves from the morass.