"Come, You Masters of War"

Last summer, it was suggested to me that I should read, among many other titles, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges, a long-time war correspondent, in preparation for my new job. (It might seem a strange instruction, but it makes sense in the context of what I do.) At first, I demurred. I am what you might call a pacifist and, at the time, did not believe in warfare--which is to say, of course, that I realized it exists but I did not agree with the reasoning behind it in most cases.

Hedges has not changed my mind entirely. I still oppose armed conflict unless there are absolutely, positively no other options available. But War Is a Force is, for me, what some people would call a game-changer: that one piece of the puzzle that turned everything around: suddenly, the reasons why we do this to ourselves were much clearer.

Having survived his share of action as a reporter, Hedges has had a great deal more opportunity to study the causes and effects of warfare at first hand than most. His straightforward thesis, given in the introduction, is that 

The enduring attraction of war is this: Even with its destruction and carnage it can give us what we long for in life. It can give us purpose, meaning, a reason for living. Only when we are in the midst of conflict does the shallowness and vapidness of much of our lives become apparent. [...W]ar is an enticing elixir. It gives us resolve, a cause. It allows us to be noble. (3)

He goes on to give examples of how those things end up manifesting themselves in the course of war.

Hedges also delves into the mythology, history, and causes of warfare and what happens when we do not learn our lessons from wars. And like any good reporter, he is not here to judge us, whether we agree or disagree with the idea of armed conflict, participate or remain unblemished. What he strives to do, instead, is share what he and others have experienced in an effort to explain why it is that we enter into combat and how fighting becomes necessary, not always as a political statement but often as a cultural one. He examines the life of the solider and of the society that endures--and perhaps encourages--war. Journalists are not exempt: 

Most reporters sent to cover a war don't really want to go near the fighting. [...]But even those of us who do go out are guilty of distortion. For we not only believe the myth of war and feed recklessly off of the drug but also embrace the cause. We may do it with more skepticism. We certainly expose more lies and misconceptions. But we believe. We all believe. When you stop believing you stop going to war. (143)

Even so, I think that with this book, Hedges has proven how invaluable the war correspondent's words can be, both during and after the fighting.

I cannot recommend Hedges' work highly enough. Political rhetoric is (mostly) avoided, and it will help to open eyes of readers on both sides of the line: pacifists and (for lack of a better word) combatants. It sure moved me, and I feel confident that it will do the same for you.

Buy through Better World Books for $7.75.

-Cate-