This Sub-Chapter on Interesting Parallels aims to raise our awareness a little bit – particularly in the area of us and them when it comes to our attitudes to violence. This post is oriented towards my native land, Ireland, so it may not apply to you if you are reading from a country other than Ireland – or maybe it will!
I have often wondered how we, ordinary people that regard ourselves as ethical, compassionate, upright, rational, reasonable, and responsible are conditioned to accept that waging war is an acceptable method of resolving conflict, even though war-waging is almost always based on half-truths if not total lies. [1].
Wondering about this led me to consider the similarities and differences between us – law abiding responsible citizens – and them, those who get involved in criminality, violence, turf-wars, and suchlike.
While I know that in Ireland, since the foundation of our state, we have never invaded anyone, we do directly assist (and in other cases turn a blind eye) to imperial powers (and former imperial powers) who are engaged in wars of aggression [2].
This is despite the fact that we are a country that is supposedly neutral, i.e. not a member of any military alliance, and that our ancestors suffered substantial loss of life from war, famine, enslavement, poverty, emigration, exclusion etc. over four centuries.
Here are a number of points to reflect on in respect of our support for powerful countries that visit terrible suffering on (for us, faraway) countries with vulnerable populations. As you read them, I’d like you to, just as an exercise, compare the parallels between us and what we commonly refer to as gangland criminality. [3]
Parallels
Can you think of others?
(No. 6 above – the distinct hierarchy – is particularly notable today, as the level of criticism for the invasion of Ukraine by Russia – under false pretences – has evoked far more criticism and indeed direct action than previous invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq by the USA – equally under false pretences – a country that we are culturally close to and/or dependent on).
Now in the following Table, we will consider the different context. The different context might offer us clues as to why we the general public don’t see the above parallels clearly.
In the Table above, point 8 (individual and family) is particularly relevant. Two of the most debilitating human emotions (that are uniquely human) are guilt and shame. To be thought little of by the majority of people in society can inflict a lot of harm on a person or group of people. (Here is a song that I wrote in which I attempt to portray the impact of guilt and shame on someone who has been to prison).
Getting back to the esteem in which we hold the military, it is, of course, because we perceive the military as a disciplined group that keeps us safe whereas we perceive criminals as undisciplined people who we live our lives in fear of – so naturally enough we think little of them and want to put some distance between us and them. In fact, I have often observed that ordinary citizens are angrier with soldiers who commit crimes than they are with criminals in general.
And anyone who has ever served in an army will know that the man (or woman) who tends towards undisciplined violence makes a bad soldier.
[1]. This is true of all wars of aggression – the most obvious one being the pretext on which the war in Iraq was fought in the early 2000’s – i.e. that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which gave him the capability to do serious harm to countries in the Western World. The justification for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia was also based on lies. How many people died/are dying because of these deliberate fabrications?
[2]. Firstly, for many decades now the Irish Government has allowed US military aircraft land in Shannon Airport transiting between the USA and wars in the Middle East. Secondly, we have not spoken out, at Government level, in the European Union, objecting to member states supporting such wars, which have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the countries in which they are waged.
[3]. I distinguish criminals in gangs, as part of a hierarchy with a leader of the gang, from criminals who are opportunistic addicts, random joyriders, people who assault others in rows after pubs at night etc. though of course some of those who are randomly criminal in their youth might graduate to being junior members in gangs and climb the ranks.
[4]. A feature of adolescence is attaching oneself to a group, temporarily internalising the power of the group while one is forming one’s own unique identity. Many young men are very needy in this regard.
[5]. Some years ago a general amnesty was issued by our Government to all who deserted our Army during The Emergency (1939-45) and joined the British Army. Effectively we pardoned those who left our National Army in our hour of need and joined a foreign Army that had detailed plans to invade us should we not toe their line. This must be unique, and one of the most generous gestures in world history.
Now what is not as well-known is the fact that soldiers deserted our Army after Bloody Sunday in 1972 to protect Catholics in Northern Ireland, for much the same reason as the Emergency years deserters i.e. they didn’t believe that our State was doing enough to protect our fellow citizens. I’m not sure if they were ever pardoned. If they were I don’t remember hearing it on the main evening news! (See this post).