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December 11, 2005
Winter Soldiers and Victims
I just saw the documentary "Winter Soldier."
I already knew what the hearings were about and I knew what would be said. Still, just watching the courage of those young men talk about what they had done shook me. It was brave, horrifying, deeply repellent and one of the most honorable acts a human being could do, all at once. I think they were able to do that because there was more than one of them, and they stuck together, just like in the war.
The other thing that struck me was how un-self-absorbed they were, given their obvious, deep pain and shame. They talked about what they had done and very earnestly, repeatedly, insistently pointed out what mattered was what they had done, and what had happened to their victims.
There was a small panel discussion afterwards. The panelists mostly started by talking about how hard war was on the soldiers. After listening to almost two hours of amazing testimony from the soldiers who first and foremost thought about their victims, the panelists knee-jerk reaction was to turn back to the soldiers. Someone from the audience made that point and the panelists said, yes, of course, the victims are first and foremost. Still, it felt a bit like lipservice. A high-level person from Peace Action who was on the panel said, yeah, sure victims but, well, polls don't show concern for Iraqis, unfortunately.
Sure. If we, the anti-war movement, acts like the victims of our bombs and guns and torture don't matter, why should anyone else? I'm not saying that the anti-war movement doesn't care about Iraqis. I'm sure most of them do. But many have so deeply internalized the instrumental approach to the troops that they are in a lose-lose situation. They do not confront the reality of the soldiers actions, but instead attempt to pander to them and the military families -- which doesn't work. They also don't provide the kind of moral leadership that anyone would want to follow. (I mean, if proper armor for the humvees in Iraq is your first and foremost concern, why wouldn't you just work with established Republicans and even Democrats?) In the end, we get neither the numbers nor the strength of moral clarity. And that is a shame, and I think that dishonors the very honorable path those soldiers on the Winter Soldiers hearings --and many soldiers since-- have taken, which is to stand up and take responsibility.
Posted by zeynep at December 11, 2005 10:55 PM
Comments
So far as the victims go, Stan Goff offered this advice: talk about the troops first, then the Iraqis killed and injured, at least when not preaching to the choir. One is more likely to get a sympathetic hearing for the second part of the message if the first part is put first. (This from a Counterpunch article a while back. Sorry can't find a specific reference, just yet.)
Posted by: Paul Lyon at December 12, 2005 12:49 AM