Reviews

War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges

gadicohen93's review against another edition

4.0

Listened to it so maybe did not absorb as much as I should've. This was well-written, more a meditation on war, nationalism, the corrosive and deadly power of national narratives. There is wisdom in the author's processing of so many conflict zones, the many references to previous writers, the observations of so many different encounters. There were some harrowing details — the Israeli soldiers luring Gazan children to shoot them was a particular anecdote that I remember. The writer clearly had spent a lot of time in the Balkans, which felt like the most in-depth perspective. I overall align with the writer's viewpoint on war and conflict but also don't know how substantial the book is — it doesn't dig too deeply into the roots of any one conflict, and the philosophical musings on the psychological drive behind war may have suffered as a result, feeling somewhat intangible and drifting, though maybe that's sheerly because much of war seems like an irrational riot of nihilism.

nogglization's review

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

taotechump's review

challenging

4.0

sarahjsnider's review against another edition

4.0

I read this in 2004 and felt I should revisit it. I’m not sure I got what I needed out of the reread but it’s worthwhile. I did find the author uses a lot more examples of Muslim misinformation than Israeli when discussing the conflict in that area,  but I don’t recall/ didn’t have access to what the Israeli government was engaged in at that time (now of course we have access to more diverse voices through social media).

inquiry_from_an_anti_library's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

 Is This An Overview?

To prevent a war that results in self-obliteration, requires an understanding of what war provides.  How war functions and changes behavior.  War is a destructive act, but tragically also has value.  War can become an addition, like any other.  War provides excitement, power, purpose, and meaning.  War removes the trivia, the shallowness of life.  Allows people to rise above the divisiveness.  War makes reality more understandable, by simplifying reality.  A clear dividing line is made between us and them.  Makes people ready to pursue suffering for a higher good.  Enables people to do evil, that is difficult to reconcile with after the war. 

War is perpetuated by myths, news, entertainment, and history.  Myths twist all information to serve the myth.  The myths are meant to separate people, to prevent communication with the opposition.  Myths invoke a threat to community’s sacred values, with the community perceived as the victims who are justified in their violent reciprocation.  With the myths, the opposition is demonized, with their values inverted to justify cruelty.  Wars that lose their mythic stature, are doomed to fail.  Without the myths, war becomes recognized as organized murder. 

 

By What Cause?

The cause needs to be just to fight.  Wars are difficult without an appropriate cause.  Which is why states take tremendous time and effort to promote their cause.  At war, the state becomes the guide for moral righteousness.  To try to expose the myth, would mean removal from the group.  Reporters provide legitimizing support for the for the state. 

Death of innocent ignite conflicts.  The innocent builds the cause.  Each group perceives themselves as victims.  Sharing and distorting the excess of others.  Victimhood is cultivated by showing the injustice carried out against their group.  Atrocities are justified by the atrocities of the opposition.

The dead do not have equal value.  The dead of others mean little, while the dead of supported group matter.  The opposition lacks humanity for killing, but the killing done by the supported group is praised.  War turns people into killers.  For want of power, or under peer pressure.  Martyrs provide a way to prevent arguments for compromise or tolerance.  The dead speak and ask for revenge.

 

Who To Silence?

The dissidents to conflict are the earliest to be silenced, for they are the most dangerous, as they provide an alternative way to think.  The opposition is not silenced, for they enable the sought after conflict.  Most people self-censor their views to not be branded as outsiders to their community.  Unwilling to help neighbors to prevent being attacked themselves. 

States destroy their own culture to prevent the people from finding critical and moral restraint.  Without the restraint, states are more effective in their attack against the opposition.  Replacing authentic culture with a warped reality.  Generating a conflict between good and evil.  To glorify the myth.  Seeing the humanity of the enemy makes for ineffective soldiers.  Therefore states obliterate self-awareness and self-criticism.  War removes individual consciousness and responsibility, in favor of communal effort.

The problem with silence, is that the silence of past atrocities, enables further atrocities.  War does not free people from ethics of responsibility.  But at times, immoral behavior needs to be reciprocated with less immoral behavior. 

The press sees itself as part of the war effort.  War is perpetuated by the news, as wars garner more views.  The press is being shown only what the military wants them to see.  The press share only what the state wants people to see.  The press show little of reality.  Reporting what makes people feel better about themselves. 

 

Is There A Difference Between How War Is Portrayed And Actual War?

Real conflict is very different than what is portrayed by the entertainment industry.  Most people do not behave the way they expected to in actual combat.  Imagined heroism is quick to fall apart.  Individuals betray themselves, for want of safety.  To avoid the primordial fear.  There are few heroes, who usually do not support what they did.  Combat humiliates.  Words used to inspire, become hollow and repugnant.

 

Caveats?

This book covers many sensitive topics, sensitive wars, sensitive traumas.  A diverse history is provided to support the claims.  But the history is limited.  To understand the history of the various conflicts would require more research. 

criesman's review against another edition

5.0

Deeply disturbing, but at the same time, a pleasure to read.

torturedfiber's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

jamesthesnake's review against another edition

5.0

I usually don't touch books by journalist but I make sure to look after a book has been published for more than 5 years to see if it stands up . This is a must read and must have , one of the few books people should carry for the rest of their lives, it will give great insight to times when our country uses force. Lots of history shows ho w far we have not come.

mustafa_marwan's review against another edition

5.0

Good book that contains not only war stories but war philosophy.

rschmidt7's review against another edition

3.0

Surprisingly shallow, this book fails to adequately support its thesis or its title, which is really a shame because it is one for which there seems to be ample evidence. The problem is the concrete evidence for many of the assertions only rarely makes an appearance in the book, and when it does, it is lost amongst the endless repetition of disconnected claims.

The book suffers most from a lack of strong organization. It reads as if Hedges has cornered you in a bar and is just rambling about his experiences. Hedges also seems to completely dismiss any notion of a Just War, as a last resort or in self-defense, which given the scope of human nature seems a naive stance. The book wasn't a terrible read (2.5 stars), but it just seems like it could have been so much better if it had been better structured and concisely organized.