Monday, May 30, 2005
(9:28 AM) | Adam Kotsko:
Memorial Day Question
When is the last time an American soldier died defending America and thus preserving our freedoms? By my count, it was 1945. But ever since, I don't think many of the wars have had much to do with defending American freedoms at all.For instance, I'm not sure that a single one of the many, many soldiers who have died in Iraq have died "defending America and preserving our freedoms." Then there was the obvious case of Vietnam -- Americans would have been just as safe from foreign attack and just as "free" had we declined to become involved in that country's revolution. The people who fought for our freedoms in that war generally were not in the military, or else they are people who had served in the military and could not bear the thought of continuing the atrocities they had witnessed.
Insofar as there have been American soldiers who died in defending America from foreign attack and preserving America's independence from foreign conquerers, then of course we should remember and honor them. But too many American soldiers have fought valiantly and died in the service of a cynical foreign policy, sold by means of a cynical manipulation of the fears and genuine patriotism of the American populace, with imperialism rather than mere independence as its goal. We should remember that, too, on this day. We should remember the lives wasted by corrupt leaders of both political parties, who send their pick of our young adults to be killed, maimed, or in any case changed forever, then smear anyone who objects as non-patriotic, as though the surest way to dishonor someone was to wish that they were not in a situation of mortal danger.
We should remember that if "freedom isn't free," then neither is imperialism -- and that far too many of the much-vaunted "sacrifices" people have made in military service have been offered not on the altar of the self-determination of their own country, but on the altar of Empire. The true enemies of freedom are those who lie to the citizens of a proud country in order to give themselves a free hand to extract and exploit its vast resources in order to oppress and destroy other lands. If we're going to have a day for remembering, that is what we should remember.
