War and Power

            "War is always a betrayal: of the young by the old, of .
             soldiers by politicians, of idealists by cynics.".
             ~ Chris Hedges (The Oregonian).
             Our nation has been fighting a battle of power. Power to have control over a cause that has not been fully explained. This cause is tearing nations apart and questions keep flashing in our heads. What is this cause? Why are we at war with a nation halfway around the world? Why isn't other nations supporting us, the most powerful country in the world? Should I be scared? We are a nation of power and prestige, why should I be scared? However, a tragic and devastating event occurred on September 11, 2001. Our nation endured and lived through the deaths of thousands of people. Now, we the people of the United States are angry. Angry and scared that we are going to lose all of the power, prestige, freedom, and happiness that we created and live with. Slowly, the cycle of war begins. The focuses of our nation are stressed on the struggles and hardships that have been tolerated. The faults of our "enemy nations" are now pointed out and we are destroying them.
             Chris Hedges and his book War Is a Far That Brings Us Meaning have brought new theories and explanations to many issues that have been recently been introduced. One theory in particular that has kept my interest has been on the subject of how a state destroys their culture and then attempts to bring down their enemy. What does this mean? First, a state will silence their own culture, and then the "enemy is dehumanized" and finally, everything is targeted toward "promoting and glorifying the myth, the nation, the cause" (Hedges 63). We have seen this constantly in the exact form and pattern. Since September 11th, the United States has forced their people to become an army against Iraq, Afghanistan, and their partners in "terrorism". The suicide bombers, rulings done by Saddam Hussein and the deaths of thousands under his rule, and corrupt leaders have been pushed into our minds to force us to sympathize with the weak and unfortunate.