I just want to add that we should think about how the forever-war industry maligns peace activists. They're portrayed as weak, cowardly, and entitled. We must recognize and resist that characterization.
You wrote this with such clear-eyed honesty that I had to sit with it for a moment. It’s heavy, yes, but the way you lay out these truths feels like someone turning on a small lamp in a dark room — not to make the darkness disappear, but to help us see what’s really there. Thank you for giving such a human shape to something so hard to look at~
We called it 'bosbevokked', or 'bossies' for short.
Now it's 'PTSD'.
We don't have stats for it in South Africa. In 2022, 17 US veterans suicide per year.
That doesn't count those that become homeless, substance abusers, or hand their trauma over to their children: inter-generational trauma.
A father accompanied his son to a local NA meeting I was facilitating a few years ago. His son was trying to stay clean. His father broke down in the meeting, crying at what he'd been made to do as a youngster out of school. He could still smell the cordite and coppery blood.
It's not natural and even the survivors carry visible and invisible scars.
You are confirming my thoughts. It must be hell to try to adapt to normal life, and the generational trauma destroys many lives. It breaks my heart. It is senseless.
This is an excellent, spot-on essay. I remember when I was at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and I asked one of the doscents whether veterans who committed suicide had their names on the wall. The answer was no.
I wish the world was a peaceful place, but it is not, unfortunately. People do the unthinkable to their fellow human beings. Thank you for writing about this difficult topic.
It's definitely an interesting and scary view and your interpretation is rational. Having never been in active duty makes it difficult to relate but your points are valid.
Rea, the dynamics of war, perhaps best described as organized chaos, is not a condition easily understood or described. For my generation whose parents were born at the end of one war, raised in the precarious economic turmoil of the depression, coming of age in another war and then raising their families in the metastable orbit of the Cold War, we, their children, drifted into a kind of twilight. To be a soldier was to meet the highest obligation of citizenship. But living in the maelstrom, submerged in violence, direction can be lost, intentions dissolve in urgent expediency, purpose evaporates. Psychopaths may be drawn to war but they cannot tolerate the binding discipline of elite combat units where cohesiveness is the ultimate necessity. The danger is the psychopath leader.
Yes, Rea, yes. And if you haven't yet seen this docu, it touches on the same points as well as how many soldiers endured childhood abuse and end up in war trying to make sense of and peace with that. It was incredible watch, I hope it wins awards: https://www.inwavesandwarfilm.com/
I agree with you, Rea. War changes people in ways most of us will never fully understand, and so many carry invisible wounds because of what they saw or were forced to do—profound insights.
A timely reminder of the sacrifices that are made by our service men & women on our behalf.
The 11th of the 11th has just been remembered across numerous countries around the world.
A moment of reflection on the sacrifices made by previous generations and are still being made.
My Grandfather and my father were involved in the last world war, both were responsible for taking lives. Whether to save themselves or their comrades in arms.
Both suffered significant mental anguish because of their experiences and actions. Both were very reluctant to talk about it and took their secrets to the grave.
Both lost their beliefs in western religion.
They shared dark humour in particular - “we fought for King and Country, I wish the King would relieve me of my memories”.
Every evening throughout my lifetime and presumably before, my father would stop for a couple of minutes “when the sun went down” to remember.
Getting back to your note. My father worked with others who had also been through the war as service personnel as well as those who had been prisoners of war. What appeared to be “often”, he would attend funerals of those who could no longer live with their memories.
I just want to add that we should think about how the forever-war industry maligns peace activists. They're portrayed as weak, cowardly, and entitled. We must recognize and resist that characterization.
So important. Thank you for writing this.
Peace activists are the enemies of warmongers. Thank you, Moorea!
Exactly 😕
You wrote this with such clear-eyed honesty that I had to sit with it for a moment. It’s heavy, yes, but the way you lay out these truths feels like someone turning on a small lamp in a dark room — not to make the darkness disappear, but to help us see what’s really there. Thank you for giving such a human shape to something so hard to look at~
It is hard to look at the naked truth. Thank you for seeing it.
Thank you for looking at it so openly — it made the little lamp in my chest glow a bit warmer too~
My grand father called it 'shell-shocked.'
We called it 'bosbevokked', or 'bossies' for short.
Now it's 'PTSD'.
We don't have stats for it in South Africa. In 2022, 17 US veterans suicide per year.
That doesn't count those that become homeless, substance abusers, or hand their trauma over to their children: inter-generational trauma.
A father accompanied his son to a local NA meeting I was facilitating a few years ago. His son was trying to stay clean. His father broke down in the meeting, crying at what he'd been made to do as a youngster out of school. He could still smell the cordite and coppery blood.
It's not natural and even the survivors carry visible and invisible scars.
You are confirming my thoughts. It must be hell to try to adapt to normal life, and the generational trauma destroys many lives. It breaks my heart. It is senseless.
Rea,
This is an excellent, spot-on essay. I remember when I was at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and I asked one of the doscents whether veterans who committed suicide had their names on the wall. The answer was no.
I wish the world was a peaceful place, but it is not, unfortunately. People do the unthinkable to their fellow human beings. Thank you for writing about this difficult topic.
That's heartbreaking, Beth!
War is senseless. ❤️❤️
It's definitely an interesting and scary view and your interpretation is rational. Having never been in active duty makes it difficult to relate but your points are valid.
I have never been in war, but I have watched documentaries and spoke to soldiers, and this is only my view of it. Thank you.
Rea, the dynamics of war, perhaps best described as organized chaos, is not a condition easily understood or described. For my generation whose parents were born at the end of one war, raised in the precarious economic turmoil of the depression, coming of age in another war and then raising their families in the metastable orbit of the Cold War, we, their children, drifted into a kind of twilight. To be a soldier was to meet the highest obligation of citizenship. But living in the maelstrom, submerged in violence, direction can be lost, intentions dissolve in urgent expediency, purpose evaporates. Psychopaths may be drawn to war but they cannot tolerate the binding discipline of elite combat units where cohesiveness is the ultimate necessity. The danger is the psychopath leader.
The hit the nail on the head, Irving! The psychopathic leaders are the ones to fear.
Yes, Rea, yes. And if you haven't yet seen this docu, it touches on the same points as well as how many soldiers endured childhood abuse and end up in war trying to make sense of and peace with that. It was incredible watch, I hope it wins awards: https://www.inwavesandwarfilm.com/
I'm going to watch it right now, Stephanie. Thank you!
I’ll never understand how we as a species can be so brutal. (Though we also can be kind and compassionate) There are no winners in war.
Unfortunately everyone loses. 💗
You’re absolutely right. Physically or mentally, those who live through it are scarred or debilitated for the rest of their born days.
It’s understandable and tragic, Lisa.
I agree with you, Rea. War changes people in ways most of us will never fully understand, and so many carry invisible wounds because of what they saw or were forced to do—profound insights.
It is heartbreaking, Chano. I'm sure it leaves deep scars in their psyche.
In bloody combat,
pain, suffering, foul nightmares.
No one really wins.
...
Some survive, some die.
Everyone loses something.
Casualties of war.
...
In resonance: https://marisolmunozkiehne.substack.com/p/war-wiser-wonderings-ways
That is the tragedy if it, nobody wins. Thank you for you beautiful words, Marisol.
A timely reminder of the sacrifices that are made by our service men & women on our behalf.
The 11th of the 11th has just been remembered across numerous countries around the world.
A moment of reflection on the sacrifices made by previous generations and are still being made.
My Grandfather and my father were involved in the last world war, both were responsible for taking lives. Whether to save themselves or their comrades in arms.
Both suffered significant mental anguish because of their experiences and actions. Both were very reluctant to talk about it and took their secrets to the grave.
Both lost their beliefs in western religion.
They shared dark humour in particular - “we fought for King and Country, I wish the King would relieve me of my memories”.
Every evening throughout my lifetime and presumably before, my father would stop for a couple of minutes “when the sun went down” to remember.
Getting back to your note. My father worked with others who had also been through the war as service personnel as well as those who had been prisoners of war. What appeared to be “often”, he would attend funerals of those who could no longer live with their memories.
🙏
I can't fathom how they survived the aftermath of that hell, Mark.
It's heartbreaking, Mark.
Stoic - is a great word and very appropriate. 🙏
It was something that I tried to discuss with my father on several occasions.
It was one of those things he wouldn’t discuss. And my grandfather was a “no go”.
They were stoic men.
Have you watched the news lately? Violence has been part of humankind since its creation.
I watch a lot of war films and crime documentaries, and I've never felt the need to become violent.
In fact, I feel empathy for the victim and the killer. Nobody can suddenly become a murderer without being mentally disturbed.
Do you know how many blame satan for their deviancy?
I can't agree with you, in all honesty, that films are to blame for human cruelty. It feels like an easy way out.
I do agree that power-hungry men are to blame for war.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
No need to apologize. We shared our opinions, and that matters.