War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, by Chris Hedges

[abaris]

Real war is hardly merely brawn.  In many ways it can systematically broaden and heightens the performance of the brains to some level considerably above what the brains can attain in ordinary circumstances.

I get that much, thank you.

Nonetheless it's rather telling for people to name war related people before their artists and thinkers.

[Anomalocaris]

What do you think of people who would name as their "Idol" some pop star or dancer such as appears on the show "American Idol"? Are such people also intellectually bankrupt?

I would call them ignorant. But not as repugnant as someone taking a general as their role model. A general is only needed when some society already has declared intellectual bankrupcy.

Well, intellectual bankruptcy is often unavoidable in peace,  and war is often the part of the response to intellectual bankruptcy that is most directly responsible for effective production the surplus of intellectual capital needed to refill the depleted coffers.

[Combanitorics]

At some time, roughly when the Iraq madness started, I read about Americans naming their idols. Generals. Not people like Gore Vidal, Truman Capote or any other writer, artist or philosopher. Says a lot about people identifying with war. I'm pretty sure, a similar poill wouldn't turn out that different in France, Britain or Germany. Personally I find that pukeworthy, since every nations has brains. Identifying with brawns is declaring intellectual bankrupcy.

Real war is hardly merely brawn.  In many ways it can systematically broaden and heightens the performance of the brains to some level considerably above what the brains can attain in ordinary circumstances.

I've often heard reports of soldiers claiming to have experienced paranormal occurrences on the battlefield.  Is it true that there are no atheists in foxholes?

[abaris]

I've often heard reports of soldiers claiming to have experienced paranormal occurrences on the battlefield.  Is it true that there are no atheists in foxholes?

Want to ask my grandfather from beyond the grave? I still have his diary from WWI. No mention of god. Don't resort to that kind of idiocy, if you please.

[Combanitorics]

I would call them ignorant. But not as repugnant as someone taking a general as their role model. A general is only needed when some society already has declared intellectual bankrupcy.

Well, intellectual bankruptcy is often unavoidable in peace,  and war is often the response to intellectual bankruptcy that produces the surplus of intellectual capital to refill the depleted coffers.

Why is intellectual bankruptcy often unavoidable in peace?  What, in your opinion, is the ultimate cause of intellectual bankruptcy?

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I've often heard reports of soldiers claiming to have experienced paranormal occurrences on the battlefield.  Is it true that there are no atheists in foxholes?

Want to ask my grandfather from beyond the grave? I still have his diary from WWI. No mention of god. Don't resort to that kind of idiocy, if you please.

What did he say?  I have definitely heard reports by soldiers (my mother's brother in Vietnam) that war engenders a substantially altered state of consciousness.

[Minimalist]

How do you think that the new aristocracy formed?

Wealthy merchants in the north allied with wealthy plantation owners in the south.  As always, follow the money.

[Anomalocaris]

When a large number of people are involved, it is a foregone conclusion that any statement to the effect of "there are no....amongst these large number" would be false.

[Anomalocaris]

Well, intellectual bankruptcy is often unavoidable in peace,  and war is often the response to intellectual bankruptcy that produces the surplus of intellectual capital to refill the depleted coffers.

Why is intellectual bankruptcy often unavoidable in peace?  What, in your opinion, is the ultimate cause of intellectual bankruptcy?

Lethargy, complacency, and the ruthless effort by the socially advantaged to protect the status quo which gave them the advantage leads to bankruptcy.

[abaris]

What did he say?  I have definitely heard reports by soldiers (my mother's brother in Vietnam) that war engenders a substantially altered state of consciousness.

Nothing. Besides writing about shrapnel rain and other pleasures, such as freezing his ass off in the trenches. Never saw the inside of a synagogue in his lifetime. And didn't turn to god, even when Hitler was after his hide two decades later. Ate roast pork as if there was no tommorow too.

[Combanitorics]

How do you think that the new aristocracy formed?

Wealthy merchants in the north allied with wealthy plantation owners in the south.  As always, follow the money.

So the wealthier Americans formed up against the colonial British, who in tern were wealthier than they were.  They began to expound the notion of freedom.  One way to view this is as a class war, if you bear in mind that again, the British had more money.  Was this class war inevitable?  The book I'm reading dosn't mention the classes of the combatants in the formerly communist Yugoslavia.  I'm merely interested in your opinion.

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When a large number of people are involved, it is a foregone conclusion that any statement to the effect of "there are no....amongst these large number" would be false.

Naturally.  Besides, the sentiment expressed is that of a Marine Chaplin in the Philippines in WWII.  It was probably more of an order than a simple declarative statement.

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Why is intellectual bankruptcy often unavoidable in peace?  What, in your opinion, is the ultimate cause of intellectual bankruptcy?

Lethargy, complacency, and the ruthless effort by the socially advantaged to protect the status quo which gave them the advantage leads to bankruptcy.

What is the cause of this complacency?  Why don't the disadvantaged join together to think of a way to advance against the advantaged?  Also, do you claim to utterly refute Marx's statement that class war is inevitable?