War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning

Go to any park or public square in any city in the world and you are likely to see statues of people so venerated because they fought/died in some war. Why do we mythologize war, our species’ most destructive collective behavior?

In this 2002 book, written in the second years of the Global War on Terror, American journalist Chris Hedges gives a chilling explanation that, for me, dovetailed perfectly with my readings of Becker and TMT: “Most of us willingly accept war as long as we can fold it into a belief system that paints the ensuing suffering as necessary… show more.

Don’t let the awkward title fool you – this is a beautifully written and moving book, in which Hedges, a longtime war correspondent, argues that perhaps – just perhaps – people are happier (or at least more fulfilled) when their country is at war.

Conflict provides purpose to our lives, drawing communities together and giving us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. This is Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning in the context of national security, and an unforgettable read.

First published in the aftermath of 9/11, this compact book still packs a wallop. Hedges forces us to think deeply about how we define the term “war” and why human beings remain so attracted to something so horrible. And there are many definitions here. Hedges alternatively calls war a “drug,” a “crusade,” a “lethal addiction,” and a “myth.”

There’s also a warning here about the relationship between war and patriotism that remains as relevant today as it was twenty years ago. Hedges cautions his readers not to be seduced by the “patriotic drivel” that often is made worse by… show more.