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`War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning` by Chris Hedges

Book Review

The book War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning ' by Chris Hedges provides in-depth discussion of the appeal and pull of war on national actions and attitude of people towards the war . The author highlights fifteen years of experience and reports through his own prism the very nature of the war , its causes and terrible consequences such as numerous deaths , hunger , cataclysms , etc . Moreover , Hedges discusses physical and moral devastation the war leaves . The author claims that war should be considered a deadly addiction or a drug which offers

intoxication . He argues that war is meaningless and in reality war is only the basest form of aggression . One interesting moment is that the author argues that the war has attractive nature . He writes

Even with its destruction and carnage it can give us what we long for in life . It can give us purpose , meaning , a reason for living . Only when we are in the midst of conflict does the shallowness and vapidness of much of our lives become apparent . War makes the world understandable (p .54

Hedges explains that the leading causality in war is the truth . He means that hesitations and doubts whether the war is justified aren 't permitted . The state and the news media are to be blamed for fostering the myth of the good and bad sides of the war . He argues that mythic war reporting sells s and boosts rating (p .156 ) War myths are created to provide the nation with illusion of clear chain of events that prove nobility of the cause and aggression of others . Moreover , war myths are necessary for making people follow leaders , fight and die for them . However , one of the worst myths is the plague of nationalism Hedges writes that it is nationalism that divides people on the basis of their culture , ethnicity , language , etc . Nationalism teaches nation to consider itself either superior or minor . Actually , nationalism is one of the most frequently observed causes of war nowadays . Culture is seen as the victim of war as war applies cultural peculiarities to its own purposes . Finally , the author assumes that religion is the only ultimate power that can resist war . Charity , kindness , love and humanity are able to fight the evils of war

References

Hedges , Chris (2002 .War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning . New York Public Affairs

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Book Review...

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