The Taste of Blood

[wnylib]

121. People get "crazed" by the drumbeats of war

pounded into their ears with pro war propaganda designed to appeal to their fears snd anger. Once that happens you can't reason with them. I saw it happen prior to our invasion of Iraq. Otherwise rational people wanted blood as vengeance for 9/11. It did no good to tell them that Iraq was not part of that. Their heads were filled with mushroom cloud fears and the belief that one Muslim nation was the same as another. Did not matter to them which one we attscked as long as we went after "them."

The media helped promote the war fever mentality. I remember Katie Curic on Today discussing preparstions made by Navy Seals. She gave an adoring grin at one in uniform and cooed, "I just LOVE those unifotms. Seals rock." As if that's got anything to do with the reasons for going to war.

I sdmired many things that Johnson did, but despised his actions in Vietnsm.

I am not a total pacifist. There are times when fighting is necessary, but there have been far too msny unnecessary battles and wars. War is a failure of creativity and intelligence in resolving differences. There are military people in my family who have seen combat and agree with me.

I was totally nauseated by the shallow arguments prior to invading Iraq regarding UN resolutions and violations, trying to justify war as if they were talking about a video gsme and not real human lives.