[lit-ideas] Re: Violence as the Destruction of Doubt
- From: "Orion Anderson" <libraryofsocialscience@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 00:05:57 -0400
Andy Amago wrote:
Let's try this on for size. It's original to me (as far as I know).
We
here in this country think we're religious. At the same time the Islamists
think they're religious. However, no matter how religious we are, most
Americans would never consider dying for their religion, while the
Islamists do. Therefore, they clearly love God more than we do since
they'll die for him and we won't. That might spark a sense of doubt of our
religious conviction and fuel our need to eliminate the infidel (our
projected sense of not serving God as well as they do).
Andy,
This passage moves toward an important insight.
Bin Laden constantly speaks about what occurred in Mogadishu a
number of years ago: How the American government wanted to become the leader
of the world, but then "pulled out" when there were casualties. He accused
America of cowardice. We were unwilling to sacrifice American lives, whereas
his young men were ready and willing to give their lives for Allah.
Prior to 9/11, the United States had more or less bowed out of the
war business. There was almost NO CAUSE for which Americans were willing to
die (and few for which they were willing to kill). Subsequent to the end of
the Viet Nam war and before 9/11, being a soldier was a safer job than being
a taxi-cab driver in New York City.
Bin Laden constantly taunted the United States about its cowardice
and unwillingness to sacrifice. Indeed, the suicide bombers sought to prove
their "love of God" by virtue of their willingness to sacrifice their lives
(as they were in the process of punishing "infidels").
It is true that Americans don't die for religion any more. But we
have proven that we ARE STILL WILLING TO DIE FOR OUR COUNTRY (a form of the
religious impulse). I have a number of references to journalists or
patriotic commentators who wrote, in effect: "Bin Laden had us wrong. He
thought we were cowardly. He thought Americans were unwilling to sacrifice
their lives for a cause. He was mistaken about Americans. We are willing to
die for our country."
One may suggest that one of the reasons that Americans were willing
to go to war was in order to PROVE THAT--LIKE THE ISLAMISTS--WE TOO ARE
DEVOTED TO OUR SACRED BELIEFS AND WILLING TO DIE FOR THEM. As Bin Laden's
young men were willing to sacrifice for Allah, our young men are willing to
sacrifice for America.
Americans constantly draw attention to the number of young men who
have died in the war, a figure I believe now approaching 2000. The
government has tried to hide the body-bags (we don't want to be too close to
the dying), but there is no hiding the number of young people that have been
killed.
Part of what is being declared when this number is quoted is: Look,
we too have our sacred beliefs (freedom, democracy, etc.). We too are
willing to sacrifice our lives in the name of our beliefs.
One may say that war is a form of violence or aggression. However,
one might also conceptualize war as SACRIFICIAL COMPETITION.
With regards,
Richard Koenigsberg
__________________________________________________
IDEOLOGIES OF WAR AND TERROR: JOIN THE LISTSERV:
Over 460 people responded to our initial invitation. You still have the
opportunity to become a charter member of this exciting listserv that
seeks to unravel the psychological sources of ideologies of destruction.
To participate, simply send an e-mail to:
oanderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
__________________________________________________________
Library of Social Science
Richard A. Koenigsberg, Ph. D., Director
Telephone: 1-718-393-1081
Orion Anderson, Communications Director
Telephone: 1-718-393-1104
Website for RICHARD KOENIGSBERG
http://home.earthlink.net/~libraryofsocialscience/
Website for THE KOENIGSBERG LECTURES ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTURE AND
HISTORY
http://www.conflictaslesson.com/why_main.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
