Why We Fight (2005)
Tonight, I watched a documentary about the military industrial complex titled Why We Fight, which is ironically the same title as the propaganda documentary series produced by the U.S. government in 1942 in order to encourage support for joining WWII. Contrasted to that, this film is about why we shouldn't support the Iraq War.
I really recommend you watch the documentary for yourself if you are at all interested in American history, I feel as if it gives a very rounded and in-depth look into the military industrial complex, its role in the Iraq war, and the effects it has had on America. Just do be aware it does get very graphic at times, and of course since it is about war it is a pretty intense watch.
I think it is very valuable to understand the things our (used loosely, as I live in the U.S. and have no support for its military, and many reading this may not be in the states at all) military does abroad, because foreign policy is definitely one of the weaker spots among the education of the American public. (This is probably on purpose, but I don't have enough information to say for sure.)
I will not be giving a full summary of events in this blog post, and I will be discussing "spoilers" (for historic events? Is that spoilers?). So if you want to watch it maybe do that first then get back to me. OKAY! Let's complain about the military!
The first section of the film discusses how we got here. That is, the build-up of weapons and ammunition after WWII and during the Cold War. I have about as much respect for Eisenhower as I do for all U.S. presidents- which is to say, none- but I do have to say it is very interesting how he apparently tried to fight against the huge arms surplus being produced. Obviously, one of the main points of the Cold War was to build up more arms than the Soviet Union, so mass production of weapons was inevitable (in the sense that in a Cold War, doing so was inevitable. I think the Cold War itself was VERY evitable, but I digress). But Eisenhower allegedly said, privately and publicly, that he does not want to build up any more of a military than absolutely necessary.
He also said that the military industrial complex- a term he coined- is to be watched carefully. That without an alert American public and informed government, the arms industry will produce more than it needs and turn to worrying more about shows of power and profit than the people. He was right, and it's only gotten worse since 2005.
I find it interesting how there was not any precedent for the U.S. having such a massive, perpetual armed military. After wartime, countries usually disbanded their armed forces. But not the U.S.- I never really thought about it. I think it's important to think about this in the context of being post-industrial revolution (AKA it is MUCH easier to build and maintain weapons than ever before), and perhaps there was never before a "need" (heavy quotes) to maintain such an armory. But it is interesting. And I wonder what it would be like to not live in a place that is so heavily militarized, with the biggest and most deadly weapons money can buy.
9/11 is described as "blowback". Blowback, in the CIA, is defined as things that affect the American people as a result of actions kept secret from them. 9/11, to the general populace, seemed like an irrational, sudden, and evil attack with no precedent. This made it very, very easy for the government to drum up support for a war, because who WOULDN'T want to get rid of people who kill innocent civilians for no reason?
What the general populace did not know at the time, and frankly still does not know now, is that an attack like this was not totally unexpected. There were motives, of course- terrorism is an inherently political act. The documentary mentions the Amerian imperialism across the Middle East, as well as the exploitation of the region's resources for American gain while the people there suffered sanctions and militarism. The general public was, of course, not made aware of this. This is why the attack is described as blowback. The people faced consequences for actions they did not know their tax dollars and troops were supporting.
The lack of knowledge among the American public is, in a way, by design. The documentary states that "What the government learned from Vietnam is that they lost because the public knew too much". Since the Vietnam War, the mass media have not gone directly into militarized zones in the same way. They do not broadcast atrocities and descriptions of American torture in the same way.
Moving onto the "present" day- that is, 2005- one of the interviewees called this country the United States of Amnesia, which is accurate despite it sounding like a "sick burn" my dad would give to republicans on Facebook. It may be because I am young, being born in only 2003 and therefore not really being alive or sentient for the 80s-00s, but Dick Cheney is so much worse than I thought. I knew he was a warmonger, and Bush's VP, but god, he really was just a defense contractor. He is the definition of insider information, a liar, and a villain. I am furious that he is still alive, frankly, and the fact that Harris celebrated his family's endorsement in the 2024 election is a fucking insult.
The Iraq War was something I have only been generally aware of for most of my life. I was aware that mostly innocents were killed, that it preyed on the American populace's feelings of greif and rage to justify a balloon in military budget previously unforeseen, but I didn't realize just how... absolutely dogshit it was? Like the documentary explains- in great detail, with pictures- how the first few bombings in Iraq killed *no soldiers*. The Iraqi doctor interviewed said he had not seen any soldiers even injured, just women, children and civilians. So it made my stomach curdle when that was juxtaposed with news footage of- Bush? Cheney? Some other old white guy?- calling the operation a massive success.
The soldiers who dropped those bombs were interviewed, which was interesting but also so enraging. How dare they look all smug and proud, calling it a success, saying it was exhilirating and easy and a massive honor. How dare they kill people without at least seeing their faces, their families, their homes. They make me sick.
One civilian man said, "A family sleeping in their house and a bomb drops on them. Is that smart? Is that a smart missile?"
This is, of course, referring to the alleged use of "smart missiles". This is listed as one of the benefits of the military industrial complex; thanks to the massive capital behind these projects, weapons systems are more accurate and precise than ever. Collateral damage is minimized. Far less civilians have to be hurt. This is all bullshit. I do not care how expensive their tracking system is. Frankly, if it IS as smart and precise as they say, that is worse. That means that killing all of those civilians was- IS- deliberate.
One thing I do not understand on an emotional level is why many people witness atrocities, know the harm the U.S. government has done, and still participate in this system. A woman who was displaced from the Vietnam war, moving to the States to build bombs. A man who was lied to and forced to commit horrific acts during that same war, believing that this time the government has his best interests at heart. The woman manufacturing weapons, who says she wishes she manufactured toys. A man who knows he could not see the results of the bomb he dropped, who could not know for sure if he actually killed his target, but simply trusted the computer to tell him correctly.
I have sympathy for these people. I believe their grief and rage has been preyed upon by one of the biggest, most profitable and pervasive industries in the world. But- and this may sound mean- I also think they may be stupid.
All in all, I think this was a very valuable and intersting documentary. I learned a lot. My college has a lot of defense contractors come to recruit, and a big ROC and Veteran presence. I do not respect any of these people. I did not before, I sure as hell do not now. I believe the American military is a cancer upon this world and I sincerely, with all my heart, hope to see it fall within my lifetime.