Musings on Memory on Memorial Day

“A country like ours, possessed of immense territory and wealth, whose defenses have been neglected, cannot avoid war by dilating upon its horrors, or even by a continuous display of pacific qualities, or by ignoring the fate of the victims of aggression elsewhere.” – Winston Churchill

This Monday was Memorial Day, and as in every year there were observances, parades and various postings on social media commemorating the war dead.

I also saw some posts decrying the inhumanity of war. Some with the caveat that “We support the soldiers we just don’t like war.”

One quoted Herbert Spencer on Britain’s second Afghan war, “When men hire themselves out to shoot other men to order, asking nothing about the justice of their cause, I don’t care if they are shot themselves.”

There were also posts decrying “American imperialism.”

This is not new of course, I’ve heard it all for many years. And yet lately I have a sense of foreboding about such sentiments.

I think we are forgetting.

I think we are forgetting that outside our borders much of the world is still ruled by the principle of “Might makes right.”

I think we are forgetting that not all differences can be resolved by sweet reason, or even a cynical appeal to self-interest.

I think we are forgetting that there are people in this world who see nothing wrong about getting what they want by force of arms, and that some of them are the masters of great states.

Many desperately want to believe that these things are not true, to the point of hysterically attacking anyone who dares to state them out loud. These are the kind who self-righteously proclaim they are “against war.”

Congratulations. Nobody but a lunatic is “for” war.

There are those who decry nationalism and patriotism, proclaiming themselves free of the herd mentality and hold their principles above any group identity.

I have some sympathy with this attitude. I’m an American and individualism is bred into my bones. I consider myself a patriot, but not a mindless “My country right or wrong” patriot.

But I have to ask, how do you think you will fare against an army of men who do hold their group identity to be greater than the individual? An army of fervent patriots eager for martial glory?

And I wonder, are we like the generation between the World Wars? Consumed with our own problems at home, unaware that the world beyond our borders was ready to explode?

Within my lifetime I saw the mighty Soviet Union collapse and the tide of freedom extend to its borders. We even hoped that freedom would at long last come to Russia. And I played a small part in the rebuilding of the former occupied lands of Eastern Europe.

Now Russia is again under strong-man rule and flexing imperial muscles again. Poland is rearming in anticipation of having to fight alone again. Will I live to see the hopes I shared with them destroyed?

China is growing richer, and showing signs of renewed imperial ambitions. Members of the People’s Liberation Army general staff have openly talked of war with America as a “when” not an “if.”

Iran’s nuclear program proceeds apace, also a “when” not an “if.”

Pakistan has nukes, and is unstable. If their fragile state collapsed, what would happen to those nukes?

North Korea has nukes and is a bandit state that will sell to anyone for hard cash, or just from a nihilistic desire to foment chaos.

And what do we do to prepare for the worst case scenarios?

We scold. We “condemn in the strongest terms.” And we remind ourselves that war is horrible, as if we had forgotten that.

What should we do?

I don’t know. But I’m afraid for my children.