Sacrificing for war

Squeezin’ the Juice
by SVEA SAUER

I see a cartoon with Uncle Sam eyeing Yemen. Is he thinking of adding yet another country we must subdue to be “safe from terrorists?” (Note: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Yemen all are in competition for control of the Red Sea.)

So far, the political response to the need to protect ourselves from universal harm has been to engage our military forces along with the voices of public approval. I have waited in vain to see the civilian public buy Liberty Bonds, make sacrifices of time, or even pay much attention to casualties. We do wave the flag a bit much. We say we must keep our enemies out of sight but we want them out of mind too. We wrangle over political decisions but sit back and watch our generals as if we were not involved.

I have a distant memory but a vivid one, of a country united behind the lines. There were war bond drives, increased taxes, sacrificing of coffee, beef and even straight pins. They couldn’t be bought anywhere. I still save them. In WW I children saved tin foil.

The notion of common good has been replaced with “me too.” People working together for the common good and governing bodies seeking solutions divorced from the influence of corporate welfare interfere with our pursuit of safety without sacrifice. Since when did democracy flourish without a shared sacrifice?

By great good fortune we live in a country which has been settled by people of hope and determination. They forgive easily. When allowed the freedom they crave, they are goodhearted to one another. They are brave. They are strong. Who can doubt for one minute they will emerge from these troubled times stronger than ever.

So what is the problem?

The system which once served us is failing. Is it possible to imagine a deal being made by handshake? Or to imagine a son who sacrifices his own life in a job he hates to repay debts dishonorably neglected by his father? Can you imagine being disgusted because your neighbor profited at the cost of another’s loss? Are there still business practices that are “ungentlemanly?”

Our business and politics both are carried on in dead earnest like mini wars. Perhaps they always were but there were rules of engagement related to social consequences. People who live in a small town are very lucky. Their lives are still regulated by standards watched over by their neighbors. It is in the world where nations engage with one another that big business rules the marketplace and where standards considered acceptable there trickle down to the local economy and change the social environment.

It is human to admire wealth and equate it with the good, the true and the beautiful. It is normal to want more. And it is so easy to become centered in acquiring more.

In the process we not only rationalize wars of acquisition but we manage to forget those who fight them for us. We must do our part and stop rebelling against the taxes that pay for them. We must learn to accept the sacrifices that enable us to pay. We must offer ourselves to take on sacrifices on their behalf and we must be ready to take care of them when they come home. In doing so we will be a united nation once again. Whether or not we believe the war is justified, we are responsible for the lives lost or impaired.

Separate the idea of self-defense from the temptation of acquisition. Once upon a time we won the world with ideas and ideals. Now, we are forced to police not only those we have taught to hate us but those who fear us. The result is fear of one another.

sveasauer@gmail.com