I heard these commentaries on NPR nearly a few weeks ago and both really stuck in my head. They are not easy to hear, particularly for those of us who feel pretty secure on the moral high ground from which we have always looked with revulsion at this war. But they are so important.
It seems that finally a lot of people in this country are coming around to the belief that this war was a pretty (horrifically awfully) bad idea, but it's also true that most of us aren't really affected by it in our daily lives (at least not in ways that we really feel right now - I'm fairly certain that my generation and those after us will pay very dearly for the incredible fiscal and diplomatic irresponsibility happening now). So we concentrate on other things, especially as the economy goes rapidly down the toilet.
Many of us would probably argue that we are paying attention, really we are! I listen to NPR on my way to work every day! I voted for the Democrats last time around (not that they've gotten us anywhere closer to ending this mess in a perceivable way, much to what should be our and Nancy Pelosi's shame)!
But are we really? Does we really know what's going on or does it pass through through our brains as a blur of bombs-violence-bloodshed-Baghdad-green zone-Fallujah that seems not to differ anymore, day to day? These commentators urge that not only must we listen more, but that maybe this war will end only when most of us are forced to do far more than just pay attention.
Listening is an important and necessary starting place. And, really, a pretty pathetically small thing to ask of ourselves.
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Here's a thought: perhaps it is dangerous that our government has the practical ability to wage a war such as this one without directly affecting the lives of us regular, moderately (or more) privileged citizens. I favor mandatory national (not-necessarily-military) service for other reasons, but I suspect there's truth to the notion that bringing back the draft would shut this war down lickety-split. What do you think of the notion that we should structure the military in such a way that any significant military action requires broad (and equitable) national sacrifice in order to be possible? This could be implemented through a combination of dedicated war taxes, service requirements, etc. If the American people support the action, they'll be willing to make the sacrifice; when support for the action dries up, self-interest will drive people to protest, resist taxes and the draft, demand real change from their elected officials, etc. It seems to me that perhaps it would serve us well for such a structure to be standing policy, rather than an ex post facto reaction to any particular conflict.
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