WAR
September 17, 2007
Only warriors can tell the truth about war.
It’s as plain and simple as that. Politicians and politics are the truest of enemies. Promises rehearsed behind closed doors; the soliloquies are charismatic, and the use of language is provincial. Penetrate the minds and war becomes inevitable. Political warriors they call themselves guided by the prevarications ubiquitously left behind. In silence they eulogize the destruction clairvoyantly manifested within but untold to those who now do not matter at all. Create a warrior and you must render him a war. They will revere me you say incessantly, silently in the depths of your bosom.
A venerate leader must now lead. I am now a deity among man so I must gratify my faction. On battle day, you stand amidst the human shields deploying the souls that will never return, souls living the final moments of life. You are cogent and cognizant all at the same time-well versed in philosophical renditions, briefed in geographical perspectives and prepared to render that one last vehement speech before control is capitulated. Kudos they pronounce when your voice resonates, approbation is fitting; you have fed and filled famished souls. You have led your flock into green pastures now let them graze in the eyes of you the politician and self-proclaimed god. Yes, that is war. It annihilates the most sacred part of us.
But war is the evilest of all evils. It takes man and molds him into beasts- the change is raw but mutely embeds it self into the fragile mortal, a little bit everyday, every hour. With each new sun, yesterday’s experience becomes a permanent element that you cannot live without or escape from. You are now a permanent part of the warriors’ landscape. And you are proud that you have done your part to inflict change by slaughtering your enemy to serve your cause and serve it well. But what have you really done? You’ve taken life that you neither created nor owned. You have murdered a father, murdered a son, murdered a brother, and murdered a daughter. You have single handedly robbed a son or daughter of their father’s love forever. You have left a mother without children. You did this in the name of your creed. You proudly display your battle scars and tell tales of your experience embellishing them for effect for the world to awe. But your memory will be your indiscernible foe; this comes later, much later when it all culminates and you return to normal life. It is then that your memory becomes the final and perpetual enemy. The battle scars that unjustifiably made a martyr of you begins to remind you of what really took place that day you suffered and now you can never forget because it is the truth, the unrefined memory that repeats itself every waking moment.
Haunted by your past, you ask yourself what was it all for. No answer - no answer. But finally it comes to you and you are sweating, you hands are clammy and you feet are frigid like that of a block of ice. You remember the man whose charm seduced you into the cause but he is not here now only you and you alone imprisoned by the world.
Only warriors can tell the truth about war and politicians can only tell the truth about warriors. War besmirches the sacredness of life by personifying malice and nastiness. The vindictiveness of war told by politicians lionizes the cause and remunerates the wounded to camouflage the experience. But the war makers know; they are all sentient of their actions. They organize massive home coming parades, sculpt marble into man so his plight may not die in vein, create well manicured grave yards, and emblaze the names of the fallen in the most visited of public places. But he is dead, shot in the chest by abhorrence and malice so others may honor him for eternity. But this is the truth about war and the truth about war makers. War demoralizes the human sprint, breaks it and, dehumanizes us, until our minds are no longer our own. We become killing apparatuses, boastful of the last kill, hoping the next would be more entreating. We live in the unknown, high on adrenaline, rattled at the slightest unfamiliar sound. The sounds of bullets and shrapnel are all we hear and know.
Andrew
- My Reality of God
- How can the Gov’t turn a blind eye on its’ people?
- Cultural misunderstandings within West Indian Families
- Profile Guyana: The Immediate Value of living on Term
- Natural disasters in Myanmar, USA and China: Is the Earth trying to tell us something?
- Derailed
- Review: 2008 Miami Carnival
- Detroit’s Junkmakers: Should we pay for the years of automotive blunder
- Get out and vote with your heart!
- My response to: Corbin motion seeks recognition of Burnham’s ‘outstanding career’
People who read this, also read...
Comments
11 Responses to “WAR”
Got something to say?
This is a beautiful piece of writing - very poetic. However, it’s based solely on the perspective of a solider who feels he’s been wooed by politicians to fight their war. Do we not have a choice? Depending on the setting that may be arguable.
Is there another topic???? Those who are fond of wars obviously has never been in one. It is definitely not the answer.
Maybe not, but why are countries still fighting war - countries like the U, S of A?
admin,
The piece was meant to bring the psychosocial plight of the soldier into light. Are we not experienciing the similar in America right now. Before you answer, let reason be your guide. Try to understand the vietnam war, the gulf war, and the inchoates of the Iraq war.
To answer your question, yes, we do have a choice of war. That depends on who has the authority to choose. Do you have the authority to say no without consequences. Think of WW11. hint..draft. the ultimate death sentence..in body and spirt.
Selina,
You are absolutely right. when we think of war, we should think of death.. Am I in some way affected by the soldiers that the became martyrs. NO, I don’t even know there names. I am too busy dining and fiddiling with my blackberry. The point is not many of us stop and think of the fallen soldier..especially those that secured his destiny.
Andrew,
As I said, the question of choice was arguable - it depends.
This piece only represents those soldiers who you say had no choice. Interesting choice of word, “martyr”. How can they can’t become a martyr. Either they are or they aren’t, no?
And if they are martyrs, then how could they not have a choice?
Also, maybe you should re-title this piece to better reflect what it’s about.
Admin,
Martyrs…to those who were ingnorant of the plight.. Years after the reason is lost. Who cares about vietnam, or the cold war, or the spanish american war, or the the gurellia warfare in bolivia, bay of pigs, the civil war in chili just to name a few.. Read the piece again. Do not be so hasty, try to understand what my piece of writing was trying to convey. Do not chose words before understanding context and reason..
Is it not war we’re talking about here? How could anyone be ignorant of their plight when going to war?
Maybe you should explain yourself clearly rather than throw your words in a poetic fashion.
Very well written, Andrew. Good luck trying to feed this to a rare steak-eating, gung-ho American.
By any means, this is well written as I previously mentioned. But what good is a piece if it can’t be questioned and if the author can’t provide an answer? If we can’t question then we might as well just be mutes and not questions anything at all.
I do not aim to offend or even “attack” as one noted in a previous blog. I aim only to understand.
Nothing said should be taken personally.
Aristo ..you are right.. but I am hoping steak eaters like to savor other dishes sometime.. Usually people are tired f eating the same every day..