War and Common Sense, good bedfellows

November 4, 2008 by gbrown · Leave a Comment

It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labour of peace - Andre Gide

I’ve riffed already about Common Sense and truth.

Common Sense can dominate truth through hero worship by elevating the values of our heros to exemplifying the moral code we should all be following.
Soldiers who die in combat are heroes. That’s what our leaders keep telling us.

At school we learn of the “heroic” conquests of Custer, Wellington, Montgomery and Napoleon. All soldiers whose claim to fame lay on the battlefield.

The irony is that Common Sense needs us to believe ib these heroes. If there is no higher heroic sacrifice than giving your life for the political ambitons of our leaders then there will be plenty willing to do so both from the Madrassars of the East and the forces of the West.

Military heroism is no more than Common Sense coercing us to the bidding of our political leaders. Soldiers who die in combat are not heroes but the unfortunate victims of a political game beyond the average person’s comprehension.

Of course there are many instances where soldiers engage in heroic acts of self sacrifice and altruism but these ultimately were in the interests of their buddies, civilians or innocents and were not achieved through staring down the barrel of the gun.

There is nothing heroic about taking another person’s life. Ironically as our leaders make us fearful of the unpredictable and insane threat from suicide bombers - individuals so devout they are to give up their life for the cause, we with the other hand sign up countless youth to do the very same.

Real heroism is the bravery demonstrated by those unfettered by the shouters and the cultural demands of Common Sense in refusing to be silenced about the truth.

Sean Penn is attacked by Fox News and denounced by the wider media for being critical of the US foreign policy - drawing a line between it and the Islamic world’s wider loathing for Bush’s ambitions in the Middle East. The heroism lies in his desire to let it be known regardless of the apparent negative impact on his career.

It’s the same heroism demonstrated by John Lennon in his solo works highlighting the fallacies of Common Sense that underpinned countless politically charged conflicts in the 20th Century. As a musician, Lennon was never mainstream in comparison to McCartney because of his refusal to compromise his principles for public opinion.

The legacy of a PR game well played by avoiding offense may have made McCartney’s estate significantly richer than Lennon’s but compare for example “Mull of Kintyre” with “Imagine” or any of Wings’ offerings with “Working Class Hero”.

The irony is that as much as it’s needed, being truthful isn’t a great shot in the arm for your career. Politcians, actors and musicians all know that saying what you really think will alienate the wrong people. It’s a tough call - many would compromise in order to protect their careers. Yet, this is the nature of true heroism that lies at the heart of Uncommon Sense - endeavours that reduce suffering in the world without violent means which themselves put your own life and career at risk. That is real sacrifice.