2.10.2003



War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning




I happened to be reading an excerpt from Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan wherein he discusses Man's "state of nature" as a war of all against all. Except in that wonderful Olde English spelling it's not war but Warre, which sounds far more serious than a simple war. A Warre sounds like a truly horrible and destructive event, so it's a good thing we no longer use that spelling.


I'm actually looking forward to the war with Iraq. It's an exciting state of affairs. I'm almost ready to cheer on the destruction to be wrought by precision guided munitions and Tom Cruise missles. It seems like the thing to do: Hey we're going to war, let's party! Just look at all those cool weapons!
It's a conditioned response as reliable as a salivating dog's. Donald Rumsfeld will stand before the podium making macho quips while showing a grainy black and white video of something blowing up. But, I suppose some considerations will forestall my indulging in this Pavlovian glee.