Revealing the pharmacon

Catholic New Times, Nov 21, 2004 by Stephen Morris

If Martians were tuned into media coverage of the U.S. election and listened casually, they might have been inclined to think that American-earthlings were embroiled in two ugly wars: one in Iraq and another in Vietnam. The question is, Why did Vietnam cast its shadow on the War on Terror? Why have the two wars morphed into something greater?

On the surface, Vietnam served as a litmus test for presidential mettle; the past war functions as a resume for leadership in the current war. A simplistic equation often proposed by Democrats is: Decorated soldier, good Commander-in- Chief (contrasting of course to the military evasions of Bush/ Cheney). And inversely, the Bush campaign charged: Unpatriotic veteran Bad wartime leader (referring to the antiwar efforts of Kerry upon his return from combat).

But let's look deeper. I would like to propose that what is playing out beneath the surface touches on the pharmacotic nature of war. In his essay, The Pharmacotic War on Terrorism, political scientist Larry N. George notes that the paradox of war is that it is simultaneously an agent of unification and a disease:

"War is at one and the same time poisonous, medicinal and addictive. It is both a contagious disease of the body politic and an addictive drug with a unique capacity to temporarily restore political health. The polysemous ancient Greek word pharmakon strangely captures all of these apparently contradictory senses and meanings: remedy and addictive drug, medicine and poison (George p.163).

War unites the nation under the flag, often securing economic prosperity while functioning as a plague of sorts, a monster that eats the young and threatens to drain the wealth of the nation.

But what is significant for Christians is the nature of this unification: war may unite, but it is at heart a pseudo-unity because it is always "against the other." As Noam Chomsky observes, America has an "enemy-of-the-month club," a stable of bad guys that can provide fodder for this scapegoat mechanism (and since Sept. 11, there is now a waiting list to join).

However authentic Christian unity cannot be forged by scapegoating the other. That is the whole point of Christian revelation: Jesus shows us a new way of being that is not constituted against the other, but reveals a socio-mystical reality based on a true universal brother/sisterhood of love and solidarity. If we pray the 'Our Father' with any conviction, we come to understand that we are all children of God, all of us kin.

The battle we saw around Iraq/Vietnam in the U.S. election reflects the work of the Spirit in history; concern for the victim has thrown a monkey wrench in the scapegoat mechanism. Though this awakening is good, it appears in the guise of a crisis that threatens to divide the nation. Truly and thankfully, Jesus has not brought peace but a sword.--(Mt. 10:34)

Stephen Morris is a theology student at Regis College.