War just hits differently in the 21st century. One hundred years ago the world had already lasted through the first global war of the century, a pandemic, a stock market crash, and was headed towards yet another world war. By comparison, the start of the 21st century has been notably less colored by global events but this century is also quite different from the last. ‘Globalization’ wasn’t a political or economic strategy 100 years ago, nor did the technology of the age provide the communications resources that developed nations enjoy today. Average people did not carry supercomputers in their pockets and thus couldn’t learn about events happening anywhere in the world within seconds. Because of advances that we take for granted everyday, this time in history may seem like more than just 100 years difference from 1926. We are literally living in the future from the perspective of those who grew up at the end of the last century.
For all realistic purposes the wars fought in the last century, particularly the World Wars, may seem like fiction to contemporary generations. They exist as television documentaries and films made to glorify the sacrifices made by the men and women several generations ago. Bookshelves filled with thick, dusty volumes documenting events such as D-Day, the Blitzkrieg, War in the Pacific and the Atomic Bomb may as well be about events 200 years ago instead of the last century. As events continued to unfold after mid-century the traumas of the Cold War, Korea and Vietnam, took center stage. Even their meaning and movements are lost to most born after the year 2000. The significance of even these recent events are buried under decades of concealment, shame and the relentless advance of new technology and new zeitgeist replacing old. Even the Iraq and Afghanistan wars may seem somewhat obscure despite recent events that have plunged the U.S. back into familiar territory.
Despite the fact that advances in technology and society have changed the way we live, we all still die in the same manner: war, cancer, famine, disease, carelessness, random chance. And who is starting wars in the 21st century? In 2026 the World Population Review site lists 40 countries at war, kindly excluding the United States. The criteria must clearly be defined as “a country that is engaged in internal conflict with their own forces or that of an external sovereignty”. The limited conflicts that the U.S. has engaged in Venezuela and Iran don’t count as they are considered “police actions”. Apparently we’re back in that business, but with Trump calling the shots there is no guarantee that we’ll be any better at it than we have been in the past. As a matter of fact all the present evidence indicates that we are worse about picking and choosing our conflicts and the results that we hope to achieve through military engagements.
250 Years of “Progress”
What does a young empire do for its 250th birthday? As far as empires go the U.S. is just starting out, getting its feet wet so the saying goes. History has seen many empires come and go and from a time perspective a quarter millennia isn’t so bad but it is also firmly considered beginner’s territory. It could be said that America can be compared to juveniles in the hall of world conquest. With a wealth of experience befitting much greater empires at the same position in their histories, it is not to be taken lightly. However at such a precocious age we are far from possessing the experience and hindsight to avoid some of the most common blunders young world superpowers are prone to make.
I’ll tell you what the 250 year old country does to celebrate: it elects the most irresponsible, elitist leader it can find, determines that the social strides it has made in past decades have come too fast at too great an expense, burned the promises and treaties made to the international community that it has carefully built up for decades, and then, charges the global credit card to its maximum limit. And of course declares war in the Middle East no longer than 4 years after the last 20 year war in that same exact region. All of this from the Presidential candidate who promised financial stability, an end to war, domestic security and the “greatest America we have seen”. This is the same snake oil salesmen we have gotten for the last 250 years by and large; meet the new boss-same as the old boss. And if you are buying the “American Dream” you can find a whole section of books written by people like Stephen Pinker, Bill O’Reilly and other white scholars from upper middle class backgrounds who will tell you that the human race has come so far in the last 250 years and that the United States of America is the pinnacle of our achievements in progressive society, equality and unrestricted opportunity.
Consider that 1% of our citizens might be fortunate to have access to some of this literature while they spend a significant percentage of their lives incarcerated. Although one percent may not sound like a big number it is the highest percentage in the developed world…we’re number one! (We’ve actually been at the top of this list for quite some time.) Being an American isn’t so bad in the 21st century so long as you aren’t black or brown skinned. Donald Trump’s second term has seen an aggressive policy enacted against perceived migrants from Latin America, and the installation of ICE Detention facilities is only likely to increase our incarceration rate. In addition, this blanket approach to treating any Latin-appearing individuals as potential illegals and threats to the sanctity of our communities has largely targeted non-criminals, legitimate citizens and even non-ethnic demographics in the jingoistic zeal to clean up the population and deport the “worst of the worst”. If you want to start by removing the worst elements of our society the White House is as good a place as any these days.
Now, let’s consider how this Administration is looking after citizen’s basic needs and taking care of supporting local markets and supply chains. Ever since the (illegal) tariffs were declared the chain reaction has driven up the price of many supplies attained from overseas trade. It has also resulted in a rise in the costs of domestic supply chains including many food items and products necessary to keep businesses productive. The war in the Middle East had the immediate effect of driving up oil prices and gas prices at the pump. In all this has increased the cost of living to the average household. I guess the President thinks that it means that some children will get “fewer dolls for Christmas”…and less food, and clothing, and even other needs that will be eliminated to help families make ends meet. The President’s family is doing great, thanks for asking. They are making killings on contracts and other spoils gained by convincing corporate partners that the payouts are much deserved and investments on future promises of profitable markets and favorable contracts awarded by the government. And no, these aren’t considered a bribe. White people don’t do that when they are in positions of power.
Life During Wartime
The United States has ever been involved in a handful of conflicts on its own soil. Notably, the American Revolution and Civil War, Spanish Wars and some other skirmishes that may qualify as “Indian Wars” or territorial disputes during the efforts to cleanse the indigenous populations from the paths of European settlers as they claimed the continent theirs to plunder. The two great World Wars of the 20th century were fought on European, Japanese and African soil or property. Europe and the Middle East have been the site of endless wars since the dawn of organized society it seems. One can almost imagine digging up patches of soil or sand and being able to wring blood from the land itself.
For many Americans with a perspective towards its history, the Civil War is the crux of our ultimate challenge to liberty and union. Brother vs brother and family in the ultimate conflict to preserve the country’s union and end the blight of slavery. A noble purpose indeed but meaning little to countries on the other sides of the oceans which saw nothing but civil bloodshed for years and even decades. Europe feels little for our trifling spat and Asia can attest to the genocide of things such as the Mongol Invasions and wars of the Japanese dynasties. In the perspective of world history, our civil war was merely an infant soiling its diapers. And despite our aversions regarding conflicts upon our own soil, we have taken little if any pause towards waging war in foreign lands. Throughout the 1960’s-70’s the US dropped more than 1 million tons of bombs on a tiny Southeast Asian country scarcely the size of Texas. Then at the end of the last century and beginning of the current century we have unashamedly waged war across several countries in the Middle East in a bloody crusade to control the precious oil the land conceals. Be it known that these same countries have been at one anothers’ throats for centuries, locked in the same power struggles over land and economic advantage that we find ourselves now meddling in.
Back at home, what became of the cause of our great Civil War? The abolition of slavery and the promise of the Bill of Rights extended to all American citizens? The end of slavery only signalled the introduction of Jim Crow laws that reconstituted discrimination and servitude with a new face. This new era of freedom’s long-term effects can be found in the increasing majority of blacks and latin ethnicities that find themselves on the wrong side of our system of “law and order”. It is found in the practices of redlining and gentrification that drive specific demographics out of neighborhoods so that wealthier, lighter skinned families can appropriate more valuable real estate. Is it found in a criminal justice system that is willing to turn its back in order to allow abuses by law enforcement to go unpunished when minorities are the victims. The ugly truth is the unspoken agreement that America has not realized the full “dream” of all of its citizens and preserved a system of racial caste to maintain its status quo. Whether born on this soil or traveled here as immigrants, only European settlers have been treated as true heirs to the continent. All others were brought here in bondage and forced to work the land that made possible the successes of all generations future at the expense of their own livelihood and those raised in their name.
In order to perpetuate this stratified social system, a new and insidious whisper spreads among the would-be conquerors in order to ward off a new wave of progressivism: race replacement also known as “the Great Replacement Theory”. It seems as if once again, the white race is under attack and must be defended in order to avoid being stamped out! Even though that is what this self-annointed aristocracy of humanity has engaged in time and time again in its own defense; that it is under threat of extinction itself and that the only solution is oppression. This, in effect, encapsulates human history over its entire existence: kill or be killed. An endgame with no true victors, only a perpetual cycle of suffering and genocide.
What’s the fuss? Why should we care? If you happen to be a U.S. citizen at this time and place in history aren’t you entitled to enjoy the wealthiest economy that has ever existed, defended by the world’s mightiest military force and destined to lead the future of humanity? Perhaps, but, history and favor can turn on a dime and past empires have been lost with similar resources at their command. Human arrogance and complacency cannot be underestimated. My reasons for outrage, disappointment and cynicism will be explained in a subsequent post.
Advancement of one society at the cost of others is not accomplishment, merely practiced oppression.
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