Pretend everything is okay

One of my sisters has this bumper sticker on her car (wave if you see her!).

Even though every few days, the news mentions another car bomb attack in Iraq, and even though the Los Angeles Times features regular, heart-breaking stories about promising, beloved young men, and sometimes women, killed there-- still, the war doesn't seem to affect everyday life here at all. I find that shocking.

Below is a poem I translated that expresses my feeling about this war, which has already gone on longer than World War II or the Civil War. The way things are going, I sometimes imagine that the U.S. will wind up in a state of constant war, like the three superpowers in 1984.

The war will not be explained any more,
just carried on. The unheard-of
has become normal. The hero
stays far from the fighting. The weakling
is moved to the front line.
The uniform of the day is patience,
the medal is the shabby star
of hope over the heart.

It will be awarded
when nothing more happens,
when the thunder of guns falls dumb,
when the enemy becomes invisible
and the shadows of endless arms build-ups
cover the sky.

It will be awarded
for fleeing from flags,
for bravery facing the ally,
for the betrayal of worthless secrets
and the ignoring
of every command.

   --Ingeborg Bachmann (1926-1973)

Comments

[deb]

It's a sad truth. Americans are bombarded with talk of the war, and become de-sensitized to it. Fortunately for Americans, the bombardment is in print and video and not with real bombs. It is dangerous to be so complacent. Fortunately, there ARE Americans dedicated to the defense of our borders, who take seriously what is going on - whose daily lives are spent at home and abroad working in that defense.

Sometimes I think that there are so many of us in this country, that it makes it difficult for the war to come home to us - if we've no relatives in the military today. I grew up during the Vietnam Era. My brothers both served; I served. My father was a decorated WWII fighter pilot. Even now I serve my country in my work for the DOE.

All that aside, my partner and I still cried elephant tears when we heard Josh Grogin's rendition of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" which included the voices of service men and women in Iraq and some of the children waiting for their parents' return.

Americans may not show it, but we do feel angry and torn about this war. And Helpless to do anything about it.

I hate this war; I support every man and woman over there who is there doing their duty.

[Allison]

This is indeed a sad truth. This war has not really come home for a lot of the country - it doesn't effect our day-to-day lives and so it doesn't feel like a "real war." It's in the administration's best interests, though, and that comes as no surprise. Personally I think the Bush Admin. learned a lot from the Vietnam era - not in terms of how to fight the war (or indeed not to get involved in wars so easily like this) but in terms of P.R. and how not to evoke the country's anger against this war... Don't broadcast the war live on television, don't allow reporters to see the bodies of fallen soldiers coming home. Don't draft. Don't ask for any sacrifices (other than personal liberties and constitutional rights, of course.) Don't let them feel like there's a real war in terms of their daily lives... If it doesn't effect them, they won't rise up/speak out against it as much.

Your sister has an excellent bumper sticker/car magnet.

During the flag bumper sticker/"Support our Troops" magnet craze, I had a black ribbon bumper sticker that said "Death is not Support." It's still on there. It's always gotten lots of compliments.