Militarism and ROTC

Hello friends, the Independence Day holiday is filled with symbols. Some of them celebrate our break with England, many of them deal with the nation’s military strength and national pride. Sometimes this is construed as a “might-makes-right” political policy which has led to difficult times and bad decisions as America tries to assert itself in global conflicts. Here is a selection from my new book, “Interbeing,” that describes some of my feelings about what has often been labeled a “war machine” which puts money in the pockets of a few while many more fight the battles.

 

Militarism and ROTC

My first brush with the military
was ROTC in high school during WWII,
when Hitler made patriotism seem easy.

Spiritual values wore away such fervor
when thousands were killed and maimed
in Korea and Vietnam without good reason.

Vietnam turned me into a war resister,
and a Jesuit seminary protected me
from the draft and facing hard decisions.

Few seem to realize how we are conditioned
to be killers, to cultivate a deep fear of others,
and to follow the fury of our hawkish leaders.

Militarism goes with dictators the world over.
Countries spend fortunes on guns and forces.
America out-spends the top ten nations combined.

Investment in killing evokes self-shame.
Notice how generals speak in soft voices
about war, a clue that they know better.

They hope quiet tones will diminish the deceit.