Apologies all, for not blogging very regularly!
A few posts ago I mentioned that I was heading to an event called "Winter Soldier" orgainsed by the Iraq Veterans Against the War. I didn't really know what I was in for: someone handed me a flyer for it, I thought it sounded interesting, so I went.
The term Winter Soldier comes from a 1776 quote by Thomas Paine:
"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
The pamphlet describes the event as "True stories from the men and women who fought the "war on terrorism."" Apparently Winter Soldier events were started after the Vietnam war, organised by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
A panel of soldiers sit in front of an audience, and tell stories about why they are against the war. Some of the stories are harrowing: killing of civilians, racism, brutality, graphic accounts of violent deaths. Some are less so: complaints about problems with war veterans medical aid, complaints about military culture, complaints about army recruitment methods and how and when reserves are called up.
War is a horrible thing. And there is an special horror to a war like this: fought in urban areas, populated by ordinary citizens. Where the people who are tying to kill you look just like the people you are trying to protect. Where the cars that explode to kill Iraqi civillians and American soldiers look just like the cars that little old ladies drive to town. Where the trucks that terrorists drive look just like the trucks that farmers use to drive their produce to market.
The testifying soldiers were mostly young men, trained to fight, trained to kill. In an environment where every day their lives were in danger from an enemy that was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. With few clear goals beyond getting back home alive. And with ever-relaxing rules of engagement. Witnessing so much death. Of Iraqi people and of their fellow soldiers.
So at Winter Soldier some of these guys testify to torturing people, killing civillians needlessly, wrecking people's homes. Battle their way through stories of watching people die. Speaking about the fashbacks they still have.
I thought about the event for a bit afterwards. I think that one thing we have to remember is that they are part of an anti-war organisation, so the events are co-ordinated and the speakers speak with that agenda. I am definately not pro-war, that is not what I am saying. But I think it means that it gives a bit of a skewed picture of the war as only being about racist young men brutalizing innocent Iraqi citizens. Which is no more true than the pro-war spin that has honourable young soldiers protecting the poor Iraqi victims from the evil terrorists and playing soccer with grateful Iraqi children.
The truth, I think, is somewhere in the middle. But one thing an event like this definately shows us is that people just like us can do terrible things. People just like us can torture people, can kill innocent people, can become numb to what they are doing. These guys and girls who testified, they were young people. Just ordinary young people. Most joined the military because they thought they could do some good in the world. Makes you think...
