American Pie: The Lure And The Perils Of Structure
...Increasingly in modern warfare, the military are being called upon to understand the culture of the people they are battling, and to be diplomats. Just as the War Colleges are always fighting the last war in the classroom, so the military’s post-war strategies are more aligned with World War II than contemporary conflicts. For some reason, no one in the military has cottoned on to the idea that these more recent wars are not about liberating people, and that handing out candy to conquered kids is not going to win over their parent’s hearts and minds...
John Merchant argues most persuasively that modern wars, fought for obscure and often obfuscated reasons, require the leavening of the steely eyed warrior with creative, autonomous thinkers whose task it will be to put the pieces back together after the destroyers have done their work.
For more of John's well-reasoned words please click on American Pie in the menu on this page.
An article in Time Magazine’s November 13 issue, authored by Adam Zagorin, and titled “Who’s Idea Was This?” questions the wisdom of sending a Sergeant Santos Cardona back to Iraq. Sergeant Cardona, a US Army dog-handler, had, in May 2006, been convicted of prisoner abuse at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. Sergeant Cardona was reportedly fearful of his reception in Iraq, and the news of his return justifiably outraged the Iraqis. It was only in the glare of the ensuing publicity that the Military reversed its decision.
The West Point Military Academy, since the time of General McArthur, has claimed to be the source of the “Thinking Man’s Army,” embracing such unlikely disciplines in its curriculum as philosophy, ethics, and “nation building.” Whilst noble in its intentions, one has to wonder how much impact such teaching might have on individuals who are drawn to a structured life; who daily have to be told what to wear, where to go and how to get there.
My own experiences in the military, and the impressions I have gained from contact with military people at all levels since then, tells me that sensitivity and creative thinking are not likely to be found in a professional soldier’s psyche. In a recent conversation with a retired Air Force pilot, just prior to the mid-term elections here, I asked him how he could possibly give any credence to President George W. Bush’s Iraq war policies, to which he replied, “He is my commander.”
Increasingly in modern warfare, the military are being called upon to understand the culture of the people they are battling, and to be diplomats. Just as the War Colleges are always fighting the last war in the classroom, so the military’s post-war strategies are more aligned with World War II than contemporary conflicts. For some reason, no one in the military has cottoned on to the idea that these more recent wars are not about liberating people, and that handing out candy to conquered kids is not going to win over their parent’s hearts and minds.
My point in all this is that certain types of organizations attract a type of person who wants to be told what to do and what to think. If the people giving the instructions are no more creative and sensitive than their subordinates; and it’s unlikely they could be, having come through the same recruitment and training process, how can such dangerous gaffs as the Sergeant Cardona case be avoided? In the Time Magazine article, the Army commander overseeing Cardona’s transfer is reported to have said, “There were no issues associated with Cardona’s deployment.” Well now!
I have thought long and often about what draws apparently intelligent people to organizations that are predicated on blind faith and obedience. In addition to the military, most religions and cults also attract such people. The Islamic madrasahs are churning out young males who know but one thing when they go out into the world, the Koran. They know nothing of life skills, or other cultures. That some of them are willing to kill themselves and others for their faith speaks volumes about their mental processes.
Film I have seen of these boys learning the Koran, shows them swaying back and forth, yelling in unison from the verses. This apparently goes on all day everyday for three years. No time is allocated for debate, or the study of comparative religions, or science, or even the study of the beauty of their own religion. Well-rounded is an oxymoron in this context.
To be sure, the military could not prevail without a high proportion of recruits who perform well within a structure, but perhaps there is a justification for deprogramming those who rise to the top echelons, and who have to make crucial decisions requiring insight and sensitivity. Perhaps there is even a case for a separate induction process that would attract thinking people who would be placed on a separate career track, not involving combat.
In times of a draft, the demographic of personnel is much more diverse than is the case with an all-volunteer army. The draft is a net that scoops up all levels of intelligence, morals and education, thus tempering the military mind-set, a dichotomy poignantly described by Henry Reed in his poem “Naming of Parts.” An all-volunteer army only accepts recruits that fit its specification.
One thing is certain; we are likely to see more wars of the Iraq variety in the future. Wars that are fought for obscure and often obfuscated reasons, and that have uncertain outcomes will be the norm. The days of the “righteous war” ended with World War II. All the more reason then to leaven the steely eyed warrior with creative, autonomous thinkers whose task it will be to put the pieces back together after the destroyers have done their work.
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