Journal of the mental environment
With a cigarette dangling from his lips and blood and war paint smeared across his shell-shocked face, a quick snapshot of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller, staring at the sun rise over the burnt-out buildings of Fallujah, turned him into an accidental poster of American courage in Iraq.
Appearing on the front pages of newspapers and on televisions across the United States in 2004 as the “Marlboro Marine,” the photo struck a chord with Americans, who were beginning to question whether the mighty superpower could handle a rag tag of Iraqi militia soldiers and whether the US should even be in the country in the first place. In this one image by Los Angeles Times photojournalist Luis Sinco, Americans found their symbol of strength in a time of chaos. The public showered him with care packages of cigarettes.
Little did they know that a week after he left Fallujah, Miller had the barrel of his gun lodged in his mouth with his finger on the trigger, ready to commit suicide. Haunted by the horrors he had seen and done in Iraq, the famed Marlboro Marine’s mental state had completely collapsed.
Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but unable to get the psychiatric help he desperately needed, Miller unraveled when he returned to America. During a Hurricane Katrina mission, Miller snapped and assaulted another sailor, resulting in his discharge from the army. His marriage fell apart, he drank heavily and he flirted with suicide again. Three years after becoming an American icon, Miller is now a mess of a man – all for a war in which he can no longer find any meaning.
“What have we gained as a country?” Miller asked Sinco. “What have we actually accomplished other than the loss of some damn fine people – people willing to give their life for the country that we have, for this nation, for the freedom that we have.”
As the five-year anniversary of the Iraq War approaches, America has a loaded gun lodged in its mouth. After five years of lies, incompetence and disorder, the US is facing a moral crisis that it may not survive.
Swept up by a sense of righteousness after the 9/11 attacks, America felt it had justice on its side when it went hunting for Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Armed with international support and sympathy for its “War on Terror,” the US reveled in a resoluteness that hadn’t existed since the early days of the Cold War. But the seams came apart when the US went looking for non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and the ensuing quagmire in Iraq created what New York Times columnist David Brooks has called an “Age of Skepticism.”
As Brooks notes, war is a cultural event that defines a generation. For the US, the First World War destroyed an old social order, the Second World War created a sense of greatness, and Vietnam triggered a counterculture movement. Iraq, however, has created an era of cynicism.
“The chief cultural effect of the Iraq War is that we are now entering a period of skepticism,” writes Brooks. “Many Americans are going to be skeptical that their government can … mold reality according to our designs or solve the deep problems that are rooted in history and culture.”
With the sorrow and sensationalism of 9/11 long faded, Americans are now being forced to come to terms with the realities of the Iraq War. While all of America’s previous wars were fought on some pretense of defending or defeating an ideology (independence, slavery, imperialism, fascism, communism, terrorism), the Iraq War doesn’t give the country any positive or negative symbol to rally around. It is a war of lies that has killed more than a million civilians, and has actually done more to encourage terrorism than destroy it. Under the circumstances, it’s not surprising that the nation would try to create an icon out of Miller and why Miller, in turn, would try to take his own life.
In Iraq, US soldiers are involved in what is called 360-degree combat, which means there is no front line. Instead, the brutality of war comes screaming at them from all angles, at all times. And since there is no civilian draft, the volunteer army that Rumsfeld felt so confident would win the war in a few months has been stretched far beyond its limits over the past five years. US soldiers are now required to do longer and more intense tours of duty, with less time off than ever before.
Considering the stress they’re coping with, soldiers need to have confidence that they’re dying and killing for a cause they believe in or major mental breakdowns occur. And since the Bush administration has given no real meaning or purpose for the Iraq War, there is an increase in trauma. Iraq veterans are now suffering from higher rates of suicide, PTSD, alcohol and drug abuse, divorce and homelessness than in any previous war.
“Soldiers come back from the war and they’re sitting in their history class and the professor says, ‘It’s now an established fact that George W. Bush lied to start the war,’ and the veteran is confronted with the lies and betrayal,” says Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense. “It exacerbates their illness.”
Like a canary in the coal mine, the mental health of the solider is a gauge for the health of the nation. As Iraq veterans struggle with the senselessness of their actions, the Iraq War has plunged America into a state of disillusionment. Trust in the government has fallen to half what it was in 2001, and roughly two-thirds of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction. But instead of creating a groundswell of discontent, the country is turning increasingly apathetic. When Americans should be out in the streets demanding change, they’re out shopping at the mall.
“In skeptical ages, people are quick to decide that longstanding problems, like poverty and despotism, are intractable and not really worth taking on,” writes Brooks. “They find it easy to delay taking any action on the distant but overwhelming problems, like the deficits, that do not impose immediate pain.”
The Marlboro Marine is now living in a trailer behind his father’s house in Kentucky and has joined a motorcycle gang called the Highwaymen. He lives off his army disability checks and carries a 9mm semiautomatic with him wherever he goes. While he has tried to raise awareness across the country about PTSD, his main focus is coping with his own destructive depression. Once an icon of American power, Miller has become a symbol of its sickness.
As America’s War on Terror continues to spiral out of control, the country’s despondency couldn’t have come at a worse time. With the world facing serious political, social and environmental challenges, the need for change is greater than ever before. But just when the country should be using the lessons in Iraq to assume a new sense of justice, the war has left it shell-shocked and struggling to find meaning. Until the country comes to terms with its demons, it will float without direction, taking the rest of the world with it. *
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Comments
Our war in the world is between Violence and Nonviolence. Using violence to defeat/stop/end violence is like using fire to put out a fire. It just doesn't work. The problem is the military, the problem is using the gun. The problem is believing a President when he says it's OK to kill.
We know this war was about Oil, we know 911 was not a terrorist attack by foreigners, and we know who is behind this American nightmare. Yet no one knows how to fix the problem? There is a Revolution going on and its been happening since the founding of America. Guns my friends do not establish the validity or authenticity of a country. Nonviolence does.
Soldiers need to throw away their guns, and begin work to dismantle the US military machine. That is the solution. And that's what we truely are fighting for.
Hey,
So i'm 16 and i fully understand why this war is wrong.Just as i know why eating and buying nestle products is going to affect someone's life. So if i who has been campaing about human and animal rights WITH OUT any parental guidance as well as recycling wearing firtrade and just doing the I can for people and the world WHY CANT ADULTS?
ive always been told to respect adults but how can i when i at 12 new whats happining in the world and doing my bit but they are just brushing it off like its nothing to do with them?!
children and young people cant respect adults because adults cant respect the world WE have to grow up in
Don't respect adults.
a world where greatness and lives in luxuriance neighbors rotten shelters and suffering
this is the reality of the majestic place that we have build with our minds, hands and hearts
we are afraid
paranoid like we've never been before
we have agreed to fear death
devoted ourselves to complain
yet we contribute nothing
simply chosen to ignore self-inflicted pain
the greatest pain of all
we are masochists in denial
Among other things, the lack of accountability for soldiers with PTSD should be shocking. Remember when soldiers were asked to test the effects of radiation in nuclear explosions by walking into a the blast zones of recently detonated nuclear bombs? To this day soldiers dealing with the effects of radiation poisoning based on those experiments are not treated because the goverment has to admit it was wrong. Soldiers need healthcare. Children need healthcare. Everyone neends healthcare. Mostly the government needs to be accountable for their actions and for the abuses against its people. I guess this is where we step in. What should we do? Keep history correct at least.
I quote male homosexuality should be frowned upon and female homosexuality should be tolerated???? wtf- pfft double standards, that's so wrong- people should be free to choose to be whatever sexuality they want to be that includes MALES TOO!
I've studied the "Commune" movement, its mistakes and successes. It is better to keep male homosexuality out of an attempt to re-create the "Tribe". Not that this will be forced, but it should be a 'community votes' thing. I think most Indian tribes did so, any men like that keeping it well out of site but the ladies at home munched a lot of carpet if they felt like it.
I'm no "Prophet" this will be just a recommendation for the Kulture module. Any group is free by council to allow it and also to later ban it should it become a problem.
And I've got nothing against gays. I'm also against "Free love and promiscuity", since they were a strong stress factor in the earlier movement.
Time to use this to re-create the "Counterculture"...
How many burnt out people would love to go to a "Commune", using a combination of 'living off the land' and freelance work to collectively survive? Get some "Old Hippies" dust off their brain cells and learn the pluses and mistakes. The big two negative factors in the past were the FBI's pogrom against the movement and the high or misplaced ideals, like 'mandatory free love'. Right now the government is weak and getting weaker despite its laws so as long as the commune isn't based around growing pot or violent armed revolution they simply won't bother anymore.
What needs to be done is to work out a set of basic rules that give some mild control but are otherwise set around making sure everyone contributes but at the same time giving people plenty of leisure and family time. The "Socialist" model is the best, where a group of people come together and form what is really a "Tribe". This can be a house in the countryside or a reclaimed building/buildings in the city. There needs to be a council and an acting "Chief" or "Chief and Chieftess". Then there needs to be a reasonable "Division of labor" based on the overall operating costs of the microkulture and divided accordingly. Everyone has a basic allotment of work based on need and requirements. All do labor to some part, though there's a difference between just plain chores and technical work. Someone who does little work inside, but works a productive job and lives there, therefore bringing in money is a "Hunter/gatherer". For that person, minimal chores are needed, but attending community meetings to re-enforce the social bond are a must. Rural communities will likely have a lot of laborers and a few hunters, while urban communities will be almost all hunters.
I'd suggest controlling sex, at least the worst parts of it. Promiscuity was tried in the 60s with lots of negative effects as a result. A commune I had a say in, we'd have a rule that any newcomer isn't supposed to do it with someone within the first 6 months of being there. Any transitory guest (there for a few nights, not in the tribe) should ABSOLUTELY NOT be let to screw anyone, especially a younger woman, though a mature woman (25+) during a festival is OK if she initiates it and birth control is a must for such a fling. There's a good reason for this; Our society is getting overrun with stupids/non-producers who are only good at spraying their seed, these types used to be rare, when times get tougher they'll not be able to survive at least not easily so they should be prevented from breeding unless they can prove themselves. I find the "Age of consent" laws as they are now a contemptible joke, but for now ones that should be followed since the current social "Witch hunt" is based around that. When the fear of the government wanes, a reasonable relaxing of age is OK though of course pre-pubescent kids should still probably be kept away from sex. Male homosexuality should be discouraged and frowned upon. Female homosexuality should be tolerated as long as it doesn't supplant women still marrying and having children. Sorry, but again there's no rule that "Queers" can't create their own "Tribe", to an extent a lot of them do in 'gay' sections of cities.
What's important is to have a sense of community, a shared purpose and a theme to the community. There are rituals, code words, other things that define the tribe for what it is. There also must be a larger system of which tribes can use to communicate and trade with each other. Given the decaying federal government's power, they'd still have to largely operate within the laws, but as the tribes bond inwardly and with each other, we could work both to weaken the government and to establish "Underground" economies that skirt taxes and oppressive regulations. On the "Weaken the government" note, one of the biggest weaknesses of our Republic is that most "City Council" meetings are not attended by other than the rich and the lobbyists. If we develop "Tribes" one important duty will be to have a representative at these meetings. Therefore the idle rich, the lobbyists will be nullified by the increasing voice of the tribes, usually "Tribal elders" who are real sharp and make intelligent decisions on what goes on in the city. The Republic is a good thing IF people are informed and participate in it, and a bad thing if they are kept out and only monied special interests have say. Likewise, the tribe members all vote in each and every local election and of course if necessary can do protest marches, community service, or other social actions. Yes, the tribe all votes what the tribal council decides, say if we want to allow this, or build that.
Another thing... The soldiers... Despite the right wing garbage, real Hippies did NOT spit on soldiers, especially burnt out vets. You see, the ex soldier makes one of the BEST "Hippies" and if the times call for it the "Yippie". When I was a kid I remember they just let the vets into the communes, and they turned hippie super fast without anyone giving them any argument/politics. Uncle Sam does all that for us, and now he's pissing on and spitting on those who shed their blood to defend him in ways that make even Vietnam look begnin. The military itself is essentially a destructive, puppet "Tribe" that works for the benefit of the rich elite conspirators against mankind so removing them from this system and placing them in a real tribe is the best thing for them. In mainstream society you do work to live, and end up living to work and really no one cares. In a tribe you work to help your fellow tribe members and your tribe, or to defend them, and you have a place and a purpose.
its sad to see only four comments, while there are approx. 1140 comments under the hipster article...really shows where our minds are.
I am apathetic, and I don't have any real opinions anymore. I just read the articles and think, oh that's so true. Wow, humanity is pretty much fucked. Then I carry on with the rest of my day and feel empty and hypocritical and smoke my cigarettes and ignore the reality because caring is too much work and the majority doesn't care to care anyway.
I read an article on Miller and he's doing a lot better now. There were pictures of him playing a guitar with a smile on his face around other vets and it looked like they were helping each other to heal from those experiences.
Even though this article is pessimistic, and I'm as tired of as much as anyone else of the last seven plus years and the damage it's done on many levels, I'm tired of focusing on it. I look forward to this war ending and for some positive changes in the near future when this constant mental splinter in my side goes with the Bush administration.
this is an APB to all minorities living in america. angry dissolutioned soldiers with military training and guns = you will probably get scapegoated for everything bad happening.
either arm yourselves or go back home. the Man will not stand to have its own thugs think that He is to blame. media manipulation will provide a zenophobic/racist outlet for white american cynicism and misplaced self-righteousness.
i haven't quite jumped ship yet i still believe in the hearts of the scots irish who built, fought/fight and died/die/will die for this country
but other minorities who haven't can't reason with the beast should start considering an "exit strategy" har har... don't worry jews... you're safe.
why won't you leave us alone and do what you really want to do?
you just have to go to the nearest sport store, buy a big gun and hand it to your kid, so he would go and shoot some Jewish kid in the back of his head...
safe, ah...?
we don't need your kind's protection, no thanks!
looks like the joker from the dark knight if had enlisted