Complete Truth of War Essay - The United Clones of America
The United Clones of America
The humanity has been sucked from the men’s souls. They stand on the barren battlefield, oblivious to the meaning of the actions they are performing. Without humanity, all soldiers kill unconsciously, and countries as a whole focus their attention on winning the ultimate title: the victor of the war. Propaganda is the use of the media to promote a point of view or a political view and is often based on misleading information. During WWII, propaganda was used in all countries. Now, propaganda is being mixed with sociology. For example, an advertisement for the army comes on during a National Football League game: “Be Strong. Army Strong” it says. Citizens of a majority of the world’s countries have been socialized to think of a soldier as strong, mature, and patriotic. Despite a soldier’s desire to fulfill the stereotype of a patriotic veteran, most veterans are scarred from the war and may struggle to become strong role models in communities. In war, our men march obliviously as living toy soldiers into a meaningless battle, manipulated by the carefree governments, and blindfolded by their patriotism and propaganda
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a novel about Billy Pilgrim, an American World War Two (WWII) veteran, and his recollections of the war. WWII began when, in September of 1939, Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany at the time, led an invasion into Poland. This led the United Kingdom (UK) and France to declare war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939. Ridden with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Billy reads a science-fiction novel and adopts the plot of the book as his reality. The novel leaves Billy under the impression that he is time traveling before, after, and during WWII.
Through the television, radio, movies, and posters, governments have been portraying war as patriotic since before WWI. Not only do we have an image of our army in America, but other countries also have their individual images of America’s army. During any war, it proves difficult for the American army to uphold a strong and dominant image: “The eight ridiculous Dresdeners ascertained that these hundred ridiculous creatures really were American fighting men fresh from the front. They smiled, and then they laughed. Their terror evaporated. There was nothing to be afraid of. Here were more crippled human beings, more fools like themselves.” (Vonnegut, 150) This quote from Slaughterhouse Five represents how, in reality, war affects America in the same way that it affects other countries. It makes no difference if an army has been through more training than armies from other countries, because in the end, all soldiers are the same inside. All soldiers have someone at home who is worrying about them and looking forward to the soldier’s return to safety. Soldiers from separate countries only differ in the color of their uniform. Although propaganda portrays America as dominant, American soldiers are more blindfolded and cloned men who make up the world’s colossal army of plastic toy soldiers.
All their lives, soldiers have been dreaming of becoming the patriotic “poster soldier” they’ve seen portrayed through every piece of propaganda on the street: strong, courageous, and extremely devoted to their country. When the soldiers arrive at the battlefield, being in the war is not be what they imagined: “It’s all rot that they put in the war-news about the good humor of the troops, how they are arranging dances almost before they are out of the front-line. We don’t act like that because we are in a good humor: we are in a good humor because otherwise we should go to pieces.” (Remarque, 140) During WWII, the public was told through propaganda that the soldiers were living in a base camp with their friends, eating generous amounts of food, and boasting big smiles. The lies pulled more men towards war. The constant use of patriotic propaganda assists the government in creating the illusion that the soldiers are fighting passionately in the war for what they believe in. Due to the how war has been presented, soldiers willingly enlist in the army. Believing that they will be happy and well fed in the army, the men arrive at the battlefield and are slaughtered by the hundreds. They are thrown to the ground as easily as a child would throw a toy soldier to the corner. The process repeats itself.
The government shows little attention towards the courage and strength of the men who fight the wars for the government. In WWI, the German army had a powerful image of the Kaiser as discussed in All Quiet on the Western Front: “For eight whole days one would suppose we were in a base-camp, there is so much drill and fuss… At last the moment arrives. We stand to attention and the Kaiser appears. We are curious to see what he looks like. He stalks along the line and I am really rather disappointed; judging from his pictures I imagined him to be bigger and more powerfully built, and above all to have a thundering voice. He distributes Iron Crosses, speaks to this man and that. Then we march off.” (Remarque, 202) This passage illustrates the importance of the government in the army. An army can be whipped into shape in preparation of the arrival of a higher power with ease. The arrival of the Kaiser at the camp sparks a thought in many soldiers’ minds: the Kaiser shouldn’t have such great power over the army and it’s actions.
The government maneuvers the military like puppets on strings, directing companies this way or that, summoning them to more deaths. They receive reports of the war with statistics scrawled all over the page. The numbers on those pages are just statistics to the governments, but those numbers are our people. They are our brothers, fathers, neighbors, uncles, and children. Every single soldier lost at war was worth one million shed tears, dozens of flowers on a gravestone, and countless memories. The lack of concern for the military deaths by the government leads the public to lose hope in the government.
At a certain point in the war, soldiers may realize that what they’re fighting for isn’t something that they believe in. Beginning after a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Archduke of Austria-Hungary on June 28th, 1914, WWI was a generally emotionless war. The dispute between Serbia and Austria-Hungary spun out of control. Allies were pulled in and suddenly the world was at war. The following passage from All Quiet on the Western Front describes the German soldiers’ lack of inspiration to fight in WWI:
“Tjaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wondering just how a war gets started.
‘Mostly by one country badly offending another,’ answers Albert with a slight air of superiority.
The Tjaden pretends to be obtuse. ‘A country? I don’t follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat.’
‘Are you really as stupid as that or are you just pulling my leg?’ growls Kropp. ‘I don’t mean that at all. One people offends the other-‘
‘Then I haven’t any business here.’ Replies Tjaden, ‘ I don’t feel myself offended.’” (Remarque, 204)
This is the soldiers’ realization. A soldier has finally realized that there is no reason he should be involved in the war. It is the government’s war to fight. The soldiers in the passage above declared that the issue being fought over during WWI was not directly affecting them. They ponder the question of why they have to fight. The soldiers realize that they have been manipulated throughout their entire lives to believe that it is a man’s responsibility to fight in the war, when in fact the government’s issues should be settled through the government.
Currently, the United States is still at war in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan War was begun in 2001, only two months after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001 (Afghanistan). The United States invaded Afghanistan in November of 2001, initiating the nation’s longest war. Only 2,000 American troops have died in the Afghanistan, but the effects of the war on the 33,000 troops who have returned home are still significant. There are still 86,000 American troops in Afghanistan and more than 100,000 troops and families have been affected by this war. It is easier for the troops to be inspired to fight in the Afghanistan War because it began in reaction to the murder of thousands of Americans. The government certainly found it easier to create public support for the Afghanistan war than for WWI by persuading citizens into achieving revenge on the Al Queada for the death of innocent Americans.
Works Cited
"2,003 Deaths in Afghanistan." The New York Times: The US. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/22/us/2003-deaths-in-afghanistan.html>.
"Afghanistan." News. New York Times Company, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/afghanistan/index.html?8qa>.
RADDATZ, MARTHA, LUIS MARTINEZ, and MIKE BOETTCHER. "30 Americans Killed Including 22 SEALs When Afghan Insurgents Shoot Down Helicopter." ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Aug. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/helicopter-shot-25-navy-seals-dead-crash-afghanistan/story?id=14245387>.
Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print.
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-five; Or, The Children's Crusade, a Duty-dance with Death. [New York]: Delacorte, 1969. Print.
The humanity has been sucked from the men’s souls. They stand on the barren battlefield, oblivious to the meaning of the actions they are performing. Without humanity, all soldiers kill unconsciously, and countries as a whole focus their attention on winning the ultimate title: the victor of the war. Propaganda is the use of the media to promote a point of view or a political view and is often based on misleading information. During WWII, propaganda was used in all countries. Now, propaganda is being mixed with sociology. For example, an advertisement for the army comes on during a National Football League game: “Be Strong. Army Strong” it says. Citizens of a majority of the world’s countries have been socialized to think of a soldier as strong, mature, and patriotic. Despite a soldier’s desire to fulfill the stereotype of a patriotic veteran, most veterans are scarred from the war and may struggle to become strong role models in communities. In war, our men march obliviously as living toy soldiers into a meaningless battle, manipulated by the carefree governments, and blindfolded by their patriotism and propaganda
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a novel about Billy Pilgrim, an American World War Two (WWII) veteran, and his recollections of the war. WWII began when, in September of 1939, Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany at the time, led an invasion into Poland. This led the United Kingdom (UK) and France to declare war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939. Ridden with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Billy reads a science-fiction novel and adopts the plot of the book as his reality. The novel leaves Billy under the impression that he is time traveling before, after, and during WWII.
Through the television, radio, movies, and posters, governments have been portraying war as patriotic since before WWI. Not only do we have an image of our army in America, but other countries also have their individual images of America’s army. During any war, it proves difficult for the American army to uphold a strong and dominant image: “The eight ridiculous Dresdeners ascertained that these hundred ridiculous creatures really were American fighting men fresh from the front. They smiled, and then they laughed. Their terror evaporated. There was nothing to be afraid of. Here were more crippled human beings, more fools like themselves.” (Vonnegut, 150) This quote from Slaughterhouse Five represents how, in reality, war affects America in the same way that it affects other countries. It makes no difference if an army has been through more training than armies from other countries, because in the end, all soldiers are the same inside. All soldiers have someone at home who is worrying about them and looking forward to the soldier’s return to safety. Soldiers from separate countries only differ in the color of their uniform. Although propaganda portrays America as dominant, American soldiers are more blindfolded and cloned men who make up the world’s colossal army of plastic toy soldiers.
All their lives, soldiers have been dreaming of becoming the patriotic “poster soldier” they’ve seen portrayed through every piece of propaganda on the street: strong, courageous, and extremely devoted to their country. When the soldiers arrive at the battlefield, being in the war is not be what they imagined: “It’s all rot that they put in the war-news about the good humor of the troops, how they are arranging dances almost before they are out of the front-line. We don’t act like that because we are in a good humor: we are in a good humor because otherwise we should go to pieces.” (Remarque, 140) During WWII, the public was told through propaganda that the soldiers were living in a base camp with their friends, eating generous amounts of food, and boasting big smiles. The lies pulled more men towards war. The constant use of patriotic propaganda assists the government in creating the illusion that the soldiers are fighting passionately in the war for what they believe in. Due to the how war has been presented, soldiers willingly enlist in the army. Believing that they will be happy and well fed in the army, the men arrive at the battlefield and are slaughtered by the hundreds. They are thrown to the ground as easily as a child would throw a toy soldier to the corner. The process repeats itself.
The government shows little attention towards the courage and strength of the men who fight the wars for the government. In WWI, the German army had a powerful image of the Kaiser as discussed in All Quiet on the Western Front: “For eight whole days one would suppose we were in a base-camp, there is so much drill and fuss… At last the moment arrives. We stand to attention and the Kaiser appears. We are curious to see what he looks like. He stalks along the line and I am really rather disappointed; judging from his pictures I imagined him to be bigger and more powerfully built, and above all to have a thundering voice. He distributes Iron Crosses, speaks to this man and that. Then we march off.” (Remarque, 202) This passage illustrates the importance of the government in the army. An army can be whipped into shape in preparation of the arrival of a higher power with ease. The arrival of the Kaiser at the camp sparks a thought in many soldiers’ minds: the Kaiser shouldn’t have such great power over the army and it’s actions.
The government maneuvers the military like puppets on strings, directing companies this way or that, summoning them to more deaths. They receive reports of the war with statistics scrawled all over the page. The numbers on those pages are just statistics to the governments, but those numbers are our people. They are our brothers, fathers, neighbors, uncles, and children. Every single soldier lost at war was worth one million shed tears, dozens of flowers on a gravestone, and countless memories. The lack of concern for the military deaths by the government leads the public to lose hope in the government.
At a certain point in the war, soldiers may realize that what they’re fighting for isn’t something that they believe in. Beginning after a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Archduke of Austria-Hungary on June 28th, 1914, WWI was a generally emotionless war. The dispute between Serbia and Austria-Hungary spun out of control. Allies were pulled in and suddenly the world was at war. The following passage from All Quiet on the Western Front describes the German soldiers’ lack of inspiration to fight in WWI:
“Tjaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wondering just how a war gets started.
‘Mostly by one country badly offending another,’ answers Albert with a slight air of superiority.
The Tjaden pretends to be obtuse. ‘A country? I don’t follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat.’
‘Are you really as stupid as that or are you just pulling my leg?’ growls Kropp. ‘I don’t mean that at all. One people offends the other-‘
‘Then I haven’t any business here.’ Replies Tjaden, ‘ I don’t feel myself offended.’” (Remarque, 204)
This is the soldiers’ realization. A soldier has finally realized that there is no reason he should be involved in the war. It is the government’s war to fight. The soldiers in the passage above declared that the issue being fought over during WWI was not directly affecting them. They ponder the question of why they have to fight. The soldiers realize that they have been manipulated throughout their entire lives to believe that it is a man’s responsibility to fight in the war, when in fact the government’s issues should be settled through the government.
Currently, the United States is still at war in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan War was begun in 2001, only two months after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001 (Afghanistan). The United States invaded Afghanistan in November of 2001, initiating the nation’s longest war. Only 2,000 American troops have died in the Afghanistan, but the effects of the war on the 33,000 troops who have returned home are still significant. There are still 86,000 American troops in Afghanistan and more than 100,000 troops and families have been affected by this war. It is easier for the troops to be inspired to fight in the Afghanistan War because it began in reaction to the murder of thousands of Americans. The government certainly found it easier to create public support for the Afghanistan war than for WWI by persuading citizens into achieving revenge on the Al Queada for the death of innocent Americans.
Works Cited
"2,003 Deaths in Afghanistan." The New York Times: The US. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/22/us/2003-deaths-in-afghanistan.html>.
"Afghanistan." News. New York Times Company, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/afghanistan/index.html?8qa>.
RADDATZ, MARTHA, LUIS MARTINEZ, and MIKE BOETTCHER. "30 Americans Killed Including 22 SEALs When Afghan Insurgents Shoot Down Helicopter." ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Aug. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/helicopter-shot-25-navy-seals-dead-crash-afghanistan/story?id=14245387>.
Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print.
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-five; Or, The Children's Crusade, a Duty-dance with Death. [New York]: Delacorte, 1969. Print.