Blog #6 - Anti-War Voices

 I have recently learned about two anti-war websites, specifically antiwar.com and The American Conservative. To be honest with myself, I have not heard of these websites before or have known any anti-war movements. 

I find this to be strange because there have been several anti-war movements throughout history, yet I only saw support for the war in Ukraine. What about the billions of dollars in funding and the corruption in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense?

The Military-Industrial Complex may have something to do with the lack of anti-war voices. Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the US of its influence in his farewell address. He stated that the military-industrial complex was necessary to protect the United States from the Soviet Union, but encouraged his successors to "compose differences not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose."

Once the Cold War ended, the complex kept its influence and power due to terrorist attacks like 9/11 and terrorist attacks from ISIS. It still has some power to this day, seen by a defense executive telling Reuters that "war is good for business." 

The war in Ukraine could also prove to be profitable since the Biden Administration continues to show support for Ukraine. What I find interesting was the possibility of ending the war back in April of 2022, which could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. 

The glorification of violence in the United States could also contribute to a lack of anti-war voices, which may lead some people to be afraid of speaking against militarism due to the fear of being seen as unpatriotic. The United States spent the most amount of money on its military in 2022 and was the leading exporter of weapons between 2018-2022. 

I recall a show me and my dad used to watch, called The Rifleman. It was a Western-themed TV show that chose to teach lessons and promote morals, contrary to other Westerns with brutal violence. I found a list of the most violent westerns ever made, some coming out after The Rifleman finished its last season! This tells me that violence continues to be present in our shows despite non-violent alternatives being released.

We also have a sense of superiority to other nations, which is called American Exceptionalism. It has been a part of our history ever since John Winthrop claimed the United States should be "a city upon a hill" in 1630. 

Ronald Reagan referred to the quote in his farewell address. If America is seen as a "city upon a hill" and is the good guy for defending Ukraine, anti-war messages begin to seem unpatriotic and pushed aside.

Alongside the glorification of violence in TV shows and games as well as the military-industrial complex influencing our economy, anti-war voices do not have a prominent voice, which is a shame.

The anti-war protests during the Vietnam War helped get Richard Nixon into office in 1968 and led to American troops coming home through the process of Vietnamization. Anti-war voices do have the power to cause change, but they are being pushed to corners of the internet people do not search.