I find it a strange cry, "support our troops". Most people are vehement in their
condemnation of those power mongers who don the robes of the rabid
dogs of war. They will heap vocal abuse on those sabre rattling
Presidents and Prime Ministers, etc. who call for military
intervention, invasion, aerial bombardment, or whatever their
military plan may be. But somehow fall in behind those who say,
“support our troops”, I find this a contradiction. Those rabid
dogs of war would be impotent ,if it were not for those people
willing to put on the uniform, pick up the gun, pilot the fighter
bomber, put in the co-ordinates for the missile launch, and do their
master's killing. There can be no wars without an army, no matter how
loud the power mongers shout for blood.
“Colorful demonstrations and
weekend marches are vital but alone are not powerful enough to stop
wars. Wars will be stopped only when soldiers refuse to fight, when
workers refuse to load weapons onto ships and aircraft, when people
boycott the economic outposts of Empire that are strung across the
globe.”
Arundhati Roy, Public Power in the Age of Empire
Arundhati Roy, Public Power in the Age of Empire
Look closely at the
modern army, is it designed strictly for the defence of your plot of
land on this earth? Wars are fought for economic reasons and composed
of two main parts, the advocate for war and the army prepared to do
the actual klling. Sabre rattling dogs of war would be no more than
ranting idiots in the market square, if there was no army. To
advocate the removal of the war mongers but leave the tools of war in
place, is like asking a surgeon to remove half of a tumour. The whole
tumour must be removed. The best way to “support our troops” is
for the people to refuse to support the state's military machine in
any way. Those who make the bullets, transport the bombs, build the
tanks, are in the state's military machine and just as responsible
for the killing of the Afghan child, the Iraqi bus driver, as the
uniform with the weapon in their hand. To “support our troops”
means supporting the killing of ordinary people across the globe.
There is a tremendous difference between self defence, and a mighty
state military machine that is used to wreak havoc in other people's
homeland.
Patriotism.
No, I shall not die for the fluttering flag,
if truth be known, ’tis nothing but a multi-coloured rag
held aloft by some foolish hand
inciting worker and peasant to kill
on some green and wooded hill,
peasant and worker from some other land.
Nor shall I shed blood for the fluttering rag
that brings out fools to stand and brag
of brutal deeds painted grand,
deeds where rustic and craftsman lie so still
killed by my brothers' misguided hand.
No allegiance have I for the Nation
this man made autocratic creation
that divides my brothers in a world so small,
binds us to a country's cause, right or wrong,
bids us follow its drum, sing its song,
then sheds our blood in some border brawl.
No, I'll be no slave to flag or nation,
have no ear for power oration,
though its iron heel is on my breast,
my back feels its leather thong,
at patriotism's barracoon, I'll be no guest.
