James Wagner

Mars, God of War Velázquez

Over the last 200 years the United States has “used its armed forces abroad in situations of conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes” 241 times, according to research done at the Library of Congress. I have added the number of conflicts since 1993, when the data was collected by the Department of the Navy. The report cautions:

The instances differ greatly in number of forces, purpose, extent of hostilities, and legal authorization. Five of the instances are declared wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican War of 1846, the Spanish American War of 1898, World War I declared in 1917, and World War II declared in 1941.

The fact that only five of these actions were legally-authorized wars is hardly reassuring.
Even if we choose to deny our warlike character, the rest of the world cannot. This nation, which even now numbers less than 5% of the world’s population, feels it necessary and justified to regularly attack people around the world in the name of its own security. Even when we are not at war or in attack mode, we’re right out there. The United States “owns or rents 702 overseas bases in about 130 countries and has another 6,000 bases in the United States and its territories.”
On Memorial Day just ended, our de facto Commander in Chief declared, apparently with a straight face, “Through our history, America has gone to war reluctantly because we have known the costs of war.”
Gone to war reluctantly? We go to war at the drop of a hat. Known the costs of war? Unlike the war experience of virtually every other nation on earth, that of these United States has only been in other peoples’ backyards.
Ours is the most warlike nation on earth, and perhaps in all of history.

[image from Art Renewal Center]

I heard part of a broadcast on public radio yesterday, reporting that a small American town was memorializing, for the first time since the Viet Nam War, a combat death of one of its young citizens. As earlier wars fade from our memory, these are the ones which remain – to haunt us.
On a day when we are remembering the casualties of so many American wars, the loss of hundreds of thousands who made the ultimate sacrifice for the values we believe our society represents, it is beyond tragic to think about these last two major conflicts. They were both huge follies. The Iraq War is increasingly recognized as perhaps more crime than folly. But our leaders say it must still continue.
If we were wrong in putting them out there in the first place, how can we tell them to stay there now?
Twenty-three years after he first asked it, Senator Kerry’s question is still not being answered. How do you ask someone to be the last to die for a mistake? Unfortunately Kerry himself is no more forthcoming than the administration whose wars he voted for, and his position sounds something like this: Keep going, but crank it up harder, and get everyone in the world to just go along with it.
While we can talk about the failings of those who sent Americans to Viet Nam or Iraq, nothing can diminish the nobility of those who fell there. And nothing must compromise the support we owe to those currently in danger in the Middle East. Cheer them, give them what they need to survive, but bring them home. Finally, we must ensure that they are honored.
We have failed them. We must not compound the error, regardless of our excuses.
Like all great hearts, they are more dear to us all when they aren’t dead.
Let’s just bring the heroes home upright this time.