Charting the Course

I initially expected Humanities Core to focus on how war affects those who are directly involved in it, such as soldiers and military commanders. I thought that we would spend a lot of time exploring how being in such a high-risk situation permanently warps soldiers’ mentalities, rendering them unable to function properly once they become reintegrated into society (See: War and Everlasting Anguish). However, Humanities Core diverged from my expectations in a positive way: it opened my eyes to how war helps shape a nation’s politics, economy, culture, and values.

Before taking this course, I had a limited opinion on war because I did not fully understand how much it impacts the world around me. Now, I have a more informed opinion on this sensitive topic. However, regardless of how many courses I take on War, I doubt that I will ever be able to fully comprehend the extent to which war disrupts the natural order of things. By “the natural order of things,” I do not mean a completely peaceful world. I believe that conflict is inevitable because humans are bound to disagree and clash at some point; however, I do believe that the amount of violence in the world can be minimized if we remember our humanity. As Michael Walzer asserts in Just and Unjust Wars, it is necessary to preserve the ethical aspect of decision-making when it comes to war. For instance, if the president declares war on another nation primarily for economic reasons, that would not be a fair decision. Although it may seem like a wise decision in order to stimulate the economy, war cannot be considered only an economic tool. World leaders must consider how their actions will impact their own citizens and the world at large. We cannot simply remove the human aspect of war when it ends up affecting so many lives.

figure 1: Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear Bearer)

Humanities Core also helped me trace the evolution of war throughout generations and realize how much war can mold a nation’s culture. For instance, The Iliad offered a glimpse into the Greeks’ overbearing shame culture. Their cultural values contributed to the establishment of a model civilization that always strived for perfection. For instance, the Greeks were known for establishing the canon of proportions for the ideal human body (figure 1). The Greeks’ shame culture also overemphasized the importance of war. Men felt obligated to strive for perfection by emulating mythological war heroes such as Achilles. This romanticized view of war often distorts the image of war from one of tragedy and devastation to one of glory and masculinity. This depiction of war influences much of mainstream media, which I began to notice more upon taking Humanities Core (See: A Brief Analysis of “History from Above” in the Media). I speculate that this contributes to citizens being so indifferent to war. If people were more aware of how war impacts others, such as by giving names to the faces of the survivors and victims (see: Piecing Together the Past), people would be much more opposed to it.

Piecing Together the Past

It’s one thing to learn history in the classroom—memorizing countless dates, names, and events that sometimes seem highly disconnected from the present; it’s another thing to hear testimony from people who have lived through those historical events. Unfortunately, I am not able to provide a direct account of a war survivor’s experience. However, I do have the next best thing: I compiled information from my family members of my grandparents’ experience during World War II.

My grandparents on my mom’s side lived in the Philippines during World War II, during which the Japanese occupied the country. When I learned about this event in History class, I was not able to grasp the magnitude of horror they endured. Although students like me will label certain historical figures evil without a second thought, we will never truly comprehend the significance of historical events because we have not experienced them ourselves.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, my grandparents rushed to gather their children and evacuate their homes. They heard frightening rumors that the Japanese were invading people’s homes in order to kill the men and rape the women. Acting swiftly, my grandparents gathered their children and set out to hide in the forest.

In their haste to evade the menacing Japanese soldiers, my grandparents forgot one of their sons at home. Shortly after, they realized that they had forgotten their baby boy and anxiously rushed back home; fortunately, the Japanese soldiers did not invade their home, so their son was safe. My grandparents considered this a blessing from God. In that moment in time, in the midst of such atrocious conditions, all they could focus on was the miracle of their son surviving as the Japanese were raiding houses. This particular experience immensely strengthened my grandparents’ faith. Their ability to focus on their blessings during such a wretched situation enabled them to develop a greater appreciation for life, value family above everything else, and never take anything for granted.

However, the fact that my grandparents found a silver lining during the war does not change the fact that they suffered terribly and were scarred from their experience during wartime. For instance, at one point, they stumbled into a village that was being massacred by Japanese soldiers. Being that close to danger, the only way they were able to survive was to hide amongst the dead bodies. Living in wartime pushes individuals to do whatever they can to survive.

When looking at war from an objective point of view, it may be tempting to say that it was “worth” going to war. Although wars are usually fought for a rational cause, they can never fully be justified because they are fundamentally evil acts. Although the results of the war may be good, war is still fighting evil with evil.

A Brief Analysis of “History from Above” in the Media

I recently watched No Escape, a film about an American family that relocates to an unidentified Southeast Asian country because the father gets a job offer there. The film was incessantly terrifying, leaving viewers unable to relax for more than a few seconds at a time; the majority of the footage shows Southeast Asians committing heinous acts while Americans desperately run for their lives.

No Escape is an evidently xenophobic film that depicts a struggle between two sides that are polar opposites: the Americans (“the good guys”) and the Southeast Asians (“the bad guys”). The film left little room for interpretation; for the most part, Southeast Asians are represented as violent savages who terrorize others, while Americans are portrayed as innocent bystanders.

While it is true that there is no possible way to depict a coup non-frighteningly, the fact that the film focuses on Southeast Asians being so statically brutal makes it xenophobic. On the other hand, it paints Americans as the saviors; it makes the audience sympathize with them and wish for them to prevail over the horrible circumstances they are stuck in. However, the film fails to take into account the innocent Southeast Asians who get caught up in the rebellion. Only a small portion of them are actually part of the group that wants to overthrow the government; however, the film makes it seem like the majority of Southeast Asians are rebels. This film offers a portrayal of “history from above” by highlighting how the coup affects the Americans rather than the country’s actual citizens. In the end, the Americans get saved while the Southeast Asians are left to perish. However, the film does not particularly convince the audience to feel compassion for them; it ends on a supposedly good note as the Americans escape such a barbarous country against all odds.

Films like these, which create an exaggerated distinction between entire races, contribute to Americans’ bias against those who are different from them. No Escape demonstrates how “history from above” can undermine a lot of people’s experiences in wartime. By portraying Southeast Asians as predominantly vicious individuals, it dehumanizes them. The film also does not refer to the psychological conditions of the rebels or Southeast Asian citizens, while it thoroughly delves into the inner conflict of the American father. Both those involved in the coup and the citizens were definitely afflicted by the horrors of war, but the film’s inability to refer to that at all prevents the audience from sympathizing for the Southeast Asians.

This type of mindset is particularly harmful in times of war. This xenophobia can convince citizens who were originally opposed to the war to support it and further reinforce the opinions of those who originally approved of the war.

The Concept of Honor in Modern Society

Up until very recently, my parents have been trying to convince me that nursing is the best career choice because it only takes 2 to 4 years to earn a degree, nurses can choose the days they work, and they have the opportunity to earn a lot of money. It is one of the most accessible vocations in such a profitable industry: healthcare. The most persistent testimony they offer is how my dad’s job as a nurse enabled him to rise above the odds and lift himself, his mother, and his siblings out of poverty. Although I appreciate their intentions, their urging me to become a nurse has put me under a lot of pressure.

Along with wanting me to make a good living, my parents want me to become a nurse partly so they can brag about it to their friends. For some reason, in my family, becoming a nurse is the equivalent to hitting the jackpot. It is a way to minimize one’s time in school yet still earn a decent salary. My parents think differently of my cousins who chose to pursue acting and filming rather than entering the medical field. They are unable to comprehend why my cousins wanted to enter such a competitive field and make things difficult for themselves. I, however, admire my cousins for choosing to follow their passions in spite of societal pressure, especially since the road they are taking may not be so clear-cut.

My experiences, my interests, and societal and familial pressures have molded the decision about what I want to do for the rest of my life. I thoroughly enjoy psychology; however, I also want to make a good living, which, as my parents always tell me, is easy to do if you are in the healthcare industry. As a result, I have decided that I want to become a neurologist or psychiatrist because it blends my interests with my family’s expectations of me. It would be difficult for me to aim for a lower-paying job because I, too, have some desire to have a well-respected career. Unlike my cousins, I have been too influenced by external pressures to completely pursue my interests with an open mind.

In Homeric society, success was primarily measured by military victory. Those who were not warriors were respected less than those who fought for their nation. In modern society, the most common measure of success is how much wealth one has acquired, regardless of how one has earned it. Just as Greeks felt pressured to support the war cause, teenagers today feel as if they must aim for a high-earning job even if they are not completely passionate about it. Achieving honor seems to be a universal, cross-cultural endeavor. One essentially desires to earn honor in order to be accepted and celebrated by society.

War and Everlasting Anguish

For the sake of the following argument, I would define war as prolonged acts of violence between two groups of people in an attempt to reach a settlement. Although this concept seems simple, war’s effects are widespread and enduring. War permanently warps soldiers’ mental processes and increases the possibility of more violence occurring in the future.

It is unnatural for man to kill man, as that is a job intended for nature. However, in times of war, soldiers have no choice but to “kill or be killed.” They cannot possibly do so if they recognize the humanity of their opponents. In order to slaughter their enemies without any traces of guilt, the soldiers must dehumanize them. Otherwise, if the soldiers did happen to recognize the humanity of their victims, they would be tormented by the murders they committed.

Once soldiers step onto the battlefield, they are leaving behind their previous lives. They are assuming the responsibility to defend their nation at all costs. Although some soldiers may be reluctant to kill, they will eventually become desensitized to the brutality of war and lose their own sense of identity. Detached from their life at home, they will fully adopt the personas of soldiers; they will prioritize killing the enemy because it is all they can recall. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment supports the notion that people can change to fit the roles they have been assigned. In this experiment, Zimbardo randomly labeled participants as either guards or prisoners and had them stay in an environment that resembled a prison. In a few days, he found that the guards were becoming increasingly cruel and the prisoners were becoming passive. Similarly, once soldiers in battle completely adopt their new identity, they become capable of killing ruthlessly. Furthermore, since violence provokes more violence, some soldiers commit war crimes. These are unwarranted atrocities that tend to harm the innocent. For example, American soldiers in Abu Ghraib physically and sexually humiliated war prisoners. War has permanently altered these soldiers’ mindsets to believe that they are greater than a god and capable of depriving another human being of his humanity.

War is a fairly simple idea that becomes complex as humans confront it. Rather than simply defeating an enemy and ending the discussion there, there are political, economic, and moral implications that have to be considered.