As a young teenager in the late 60’s–witness to the Vietnam war protests, draft evasion, and so- forth, the unfavorable view established of the military during that time has stuck with me to this day.
It is not the soldier which troubles me. The soldier, like most other people, is most likely a decent human being with noble intentions and wanting to do good in the world. It is the ongoing trajectory of militarism: military flyovers and Color Guards at major sporting events, hyper-patriotic military recruitment ads at movie theaters, increasing military budgets, excessive nationalism, and the corporate press with its never ending support of war after war after war. These manifestations of a militaristic ideology direct lives. In the military, for many this means the tragic experience of war–wars which many of us try to prevent–to protect both society, and the soldier.
The U.S. has become a highly militaristic society. With an annual budget which exceeds the combined military budgets of the next 9 or 10 nations combined, and with a military footprint all over the globe, the U.S. is the world’s preeminent military force. But has this been a healthy development in the increasingly violent U.S.?
Might it not have been wise, beginning anytime post Reagan, and certainly post Soviet breakup, to have diverted half of the military budget towards education and health? Would this not have led to a more healthy and productive society, in a world less prone towards war?
But here we stand as the U.S. positions for global war. It is strengthening and increasing its military alignments across the Indo-Pacific, strengthening military cooperation between Japan and Korea in order to counter the “Chinese threat”. Australia plays an increasingly large role in U.S. war plans as a result of AUKUS–the 2021 military pact between Australia, the UK, and the US. Associated with this Pact, Australia agreed to purchase U.S. nuclear powered submarines. Also underway are talks which promote the addition of Japan and South Korea to aspects of the AUKUS. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a diplomatic and security arrangement between the United States, Australia, India, and Japan is being strengthened. In the Philippines, U.S. military base expansions are underway.
All of this in an effort to counter China who itself is moving closer to Russia, along with other developing nations who are appalled at the tragedy in Gaza while the U.S. lends Israel its support. In the eyes of many nations, the West has lost all moral authority as a result of the Gaza conflict. Gaza, of course, along with the war in Ukraine–the more pressing issues–could also spread into global conflicts with possible nuclear consequences.
So here we stand, on the precipice of world war, and our militaristic ways, blinds us, and directs us, only towards war as the solution. How is this to be overcome?
The very large, under-reported, global protests, in response to Gaza, might be the very early stages of a global anti-war movement, or at least it could be. This should be encouraged; there is nothing wrong with trying to save humanity. There is far too much casual talk of nuclear war, which makes nuclear war more likely to occur. Even without nuclear war, the brutality of war must be avoided. It’s not only the physical destruction which results from war which should concern us; it’s also the moral destruction and spiritual degradation which accompanies war.
It is the militaristic ethos which must be overcome, and this achievement must be global in nature–nations will not unilaterally disarm. People across the globe need to demand governments to restrain and reverse military spending, while searching for political leadership willing to talk, rather than resort to bellicose threats which garner votes but mold public opinion towards war.
It starts with you and me. An anti-war movement must be grassroots. It is not going to develop out of a highly competitive ruling elite with vested interests in the status quo.
Now is the time to speak against the militarization of society and to speak-out for peace.