April 28, 2004

Foggy stars and stripes

Jimmy Dillon
Diversions Editor

Before the idea of postmodernism is struck down for being unduly sympathetic towards evil and morally concealable, perhaps the bringing about of such a phenomena in America should be addressed.

What might be the cause of introspection instead of pragmaticism, guilt instead of pride? Like all other things, postmodernism is part of a cause and consequence, both of which should be examined to fully understand its being. The same can be said of terrorism. Professor Webb, in his letter premised that over the course of the past 30 years, the United States’ “foreign policy of mere humanitarianism” unknowingly and undeservedly acquired enemies abroad.

Further, the greatest weakness of the modern nation-state and Western Civilization, more generally, has been to accept these enemies as righteous in their attacks on Americans.

To argue that the United States military, since the Vietnam War, has not been used effectively to “protect our national interest,” may be a true assertion. However, this is not to say that the military has not been used for other reasons. Since 1975, when the Vietnam War ended, the United States has not protected other interests, it has developed an economic empire and counter Soviet movement. Military action in Central America, particularly Nicaragua and Chile (where the government was overturned with help from the CIA) has been initiated to develop economic possibility in a system of globalization. Military action during the Cold War led to the arming of countries, such as Iraq, while funding has led to militant groups such as the Taliban (via Pakistan). Perhaps conquering and militarizing other countries is in the interest of some entity in the United States, but it is definitely not in the national interest.

The modern nation-state is partly to blame for this problem. There is far too much distance between the citizenry of the country and their leadership.

Political theorist Murray Bookchin states that ‘patriotism,’ as the etymology of the word indicates, is the nation-state’s conception of the citizen as a child, the obedient creature of the nation-state conceived as a paterfamilia or stern father who orchestrates belief and commands devotion.

“To the extent that we are the ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’of a ‘fatherland,’ we place ourselves in an infantile relationship with the state.” With a multi-faceted bureaucracy in place in the United States, the common citizen can become lost in the giant realm of politics. Now, more than ever when patriotism is riding high, people should be most critical of the government. To state that “nation-state was one of the greatest political creations of the West” would be to undermine the notion of self-government itself.

Perhaps the cause of postmodernism is the tragic consequences of pragmaticism. Our foreign policy and “whatever works” attitude has, in the form of terrorism, come back to hurt us in the long run. Professor Webb’s over-simplification of “our true enemies who are out to kill us” cannot help matters, only create more fear.

Unfortunately, fear, as the federal government has already learned, motivates the American public much more effectively than education of the past. But in order to do this, we must resist the fear-based rhetoric being spewed by our commander-in-chief, and focus on some of the causes and consequences of our own actions.

Indeed, if the people who oppose us are “monsters,” as Professor Webb’s source puts it, then we are Frankenstein. And, now is the time to discover why we are this character.