I stated in a previous post that an important element of military induction and training is coaching us to favour myth over common-sense reality.
To illustrate the kind of contradiction that is inherent in the world of not only the military, but security forces in general, in Western countries, that pride themselves on being democratic, soldiers and police (to the best of my knowledge, anyway) are not allowed join a Peace Movement, or a Non-Violence Movement.
Now surely the people who would most want peace are those who will be killed first if war breaks out. That is common-sense reality!
Banning soldiers from joining peace movements probably makes sense in a country that sees itself as an imperial power which has been making war all over the world for many centuries. But it has no logic in a neutral country that prides itself on having a peacekeeping role in the world, as Ireland does. I don’t believe that we are well served by prohibiting members of our Army to join civilian organisations promoting non-violence.
The reason that they are prohibited, of course, is that there is a fear among the Government (as there is in every country – that I know of anyway) that within Peace Movements are people who are promoting values or planning activities that are harmful to our country.
But equally, there may not be!
And even if there are, surely the presence of members of our Army (and Gardaí indeed) in the movements would reduce the influence of those who are subversive, while promoting the values of those wonderful people who are there to genuinely promote peace – as the vast majority are.
I had experience of this in the 1980’s when Ronald Reagan, President of USA at that time, visited Ireland. In those days the USA was interfering militarily (directly and indirectly) in Central and South American Countries. In fact, there was overwhelming evidence that the USA had supported right wing juntas in such countries that had been (and were) responsible for thousands if not tens of thousands of deaths [1].
Because of this there were quite a number of peace/anti-war demonstrations at the time of President Reagan’s visit. Our present Uachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, now, ironically, the Supreme Commander of our Defence Forces, was among the demonstrators, as were prominent politicians and churchmen, bishops and priests. These demonstrations were organised by a wide group promoting peace, so wide that the party-political element within them was not very prominent at all.
Even though I had just returned from a role promoting peace in the Middle East I knew that I would not have been permitted to go out on the streets promoting peace in my home country. This, to me, appeared hypocritical and nonsensical, and was a factor in my decision to leave the Army a few short years later.
I knew many ordinary citizens who did demonstrate at that time, and all that I knew were sincere in their views in respect of peace in the world. I myself, had I been allowed demonstrate, would have done so with the status of a neutral Irish state being a force for good in the world foremost in my mind, just as I had when on peacekeeping duties in the Middle East.
There may have been some so-called subversives milking the demonstrations for political ends (there probably were) but they were marginal, and would have been further marginalised had people such as Army and/or Gardaí been permitted to join in the demonstrations.
The very fact that it will probably be seen as absurd that some members of the Army and Gardaí would choose to be part of a peaceful demonstration, with other members stewarding the same demonstration, shows the awesome power of the group-think of the Pillars.
[1]. The entire World now identifies the term 9-11 with the attack on the World Trade Centre (the Twin Towers) in New York. It is worth remembering that for the Chilean people, 9-11 was the date (11 September 1973) that the USA supported the overthrow of the democratically elected Government of Salvador Allende and installed the right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet whose Government imposed an unaccountable, cruel and despotic fascist regime which lasted until 1990.