28th
Do We Really Want to Know? :: “What Every Person Should Know About War” by Chris Hedges
There are some things I wish I didn’t know. And then there are lots of things I want to learn about.
Recognizing how little I know about the multi-layed human consequences of war, a couple weeks ago I picked up a used copy of What Every Person Should Know About War by Chris Hedges. I was at Jackson Street Booksellers and saw it on the ‘recently arrived’ table. It looked interesting, and looked like something I could read through in one sitting (this is important to me since I am in a competitive reading group).
I was on a Chicago-Charlotte flight as I opened its first pages and by the time I had finished this book felt as certain as ever that war is always a bad, bad idea.
Here are a few highlights:
- What is a war? War is defined as an active conflict that has claimed more than 1,000 lives. (page 1)
- What are the most dangerous military jobs? Infantry positions in the Army and Marines. These are the units that directly engage the enemy in ground combat. Though they only account for 10 to 30 percent of the troops in a war, infantry can suffer as many as 80 percent of the casualties…You are roughly ten times more likely to die in an infantry positions than you are in a non-infantry role. (page 15)
- [During combat deployment] Will I visit prostitutes? Solicitation of prostitutes by U.S. military personnel is a fact of life in many countries… Large sex industries formed in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Asia when U.S. troops were stationed there…. The average Green Beret had sex with 25 Vietnamese prostitutes [during the Vietnam war]. During the Gulf War, few U.S. service members visited prostitutes, since there was no prostitution system in place and the conflict was brief. However, ships returning from the Gulf War often made a “sex stop” in Thailand. (page 34)
- If I am wounded, what are the odds I will die? About one in five. Fragmentation mortar bombs and grenades kill about 10 percent of those they wound. Conventional artillery shells kill about 20 percent of those they wound. If you are shot, there is a one in three chance you will die. (page 43)
- Will I be able to tell if I am exposed to biological weapons? No… (page 61)
- Will I feel guilty killing in combat? Most likely. After the exhilaration of killing, you will probably experience a feeling of remorse. This may be accompanied by thoughts that you are “sick” or “wrong” for having enjoyed killing. You may also have a profound feeling of responsibility for the dead—both comrades and enemies. Trying to reconcile this feeling of accountability will add more guilt…. Military training seeks to depersonalize the enemy, making it easier for you to kill without guilt. (page 74)
- What are the negative aspects of my training? The conflict between forebrain and midbrain may be the source of several long-term psychological consequences of combat and killing. Those who survive combat have a greater chance of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. (page 77)
- Must I always avoid killing civilians? No. You may cause civilian casualties if you are attacking a legitimate target. You may be forced to shoot an enemy if he or she is using civilians as human shields. Civilians are not combatants and are not lawful targets unless they take part in the hostilities against you and are a threat to you. (page 84)
- Can I withstand torture? Not past a certain point, though that point varies. The same military regulations that urge you to remain silent concede that it is “very unlikely that you will be able to present a skilled enemy interrogator, using all available psychological and physical methods of coercion, from forcing you to comply at least a little with his demands.” (page 94)
- How will I die? Most combat wounds result in the loss of too much blood. (page 99)
- Can Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder be cured? No, but treatments can minimize outbreaks. (page 116)
The book is essentially a question/answer format with very clear, direct and concise answers to all sorts of troubling, but honest questions. A few more include:
What are the consequences of becoming a refugee? How does war affect children? How many child soldiers are there? What is genocide? What will happen to me at boot camp? How does the military condition me to fight and kill? What are my chances of being wounded or killed if we go to war? What will a bullet do to my body? What are the best and worst places to get shot? What does it feel like to get shot? If a medic has to operate on me in the field, will he or she have anesthesia? What could happen to me in a nuclear attack? What will happen if I am exposed to nuclear radiation but do not die immediately? What does it feel like to kill someone? Is there a chance I will enjoy killing? How common are mental disorders arising from combat? What happens if I’m taken prisoner? Will I be ashamed if I am captured? What is the most effective form of torture? Why are so many women raped in war? What does it feel like to die? Will I die alone? Will I be scared when I die? What is post-traumatic stress disorder?
It sure would be a great idea to give this book to anyone you may know who is considering enlisting in the military. The human cost is too great and the long-term impacts of war are far too destructive.
Not the best sort of ‘pick-me-up’ kind of book, but an important one nonetheless to understand the consequences and great malformations of so-called civilized nations engaged in conflict.
