War Pabulum: The Perils of War as a Master Narrative
I continue to be amazed at the dominance of war in America's master narrative. "War is a force that gives us meaning," notes Chris Hedges in his book by that title. Even nuclear war, apparently, as America pursues new nuclear bombers, submarines, and missiles at a cost approaching $2 trillion over the next 30 years.
The whole idea of nuclear "modernization" is insane; it's like modernizing the methods of the Holocaust and broadening them on a planetary scale. Of course, Congress looks at nuclear weapons as job creators, as if we can't spend money on better schools or health care or renewable energy.
War will always find a way in America, or so it seems. If we're truly looking for New Year's resolutions, how about saving the planet, and trillions of dollars, by resolving to work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons? Because "us" versus "them" will make no sense once those nuclear warheads start exploding.