Do we really know what we want? According to the Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis, we (the human species) evolved to be liars. Liars survive more often than honest animals. Honest animals share their food supply, while liars bury their food for later, or hide it behind a tree. And the most convincing liars are those that believe their own lies: evolution taught us to deceive ourselves, in order that we might be able to more effectively deceive others. We tell ourselves increasingly clever stories, what with the postmodernism and everything, but the lies behind the stories aren't getting any more sophisticated. The lies haven't changed since we first started lying.

Did we invade Iraq in self-defense? Iraq never attacked us. Did we invade Iraq to free the Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's brutality? Did we really believe that we could impose Western-style democracy, at gunpoint, upon a nation full of radical Muslims, or were we kidding ourselves?

What is the real purpose of war? Chris Hedges, in a book called War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, describes war as a communal activity, a tribal ritual, a means of unifying a large group of people under a common purpose. War enables us to escape banality, demonstrate our collective courage and determination, and bond together as a group. War creates so much meaning that we cannot escape its temptation: we cannot draft a law that outlaws senseless war and then enforce that law, because tribal instinct insists upon the continued existence of war. In order for us to be united, to feel collectively purposeful, some of us must agree to take up arms and go fight with warriors from another tribe.

What do Americans really want? People everywhere want comfort. Groups of like-minded people are comfortable, entertaining, gratifying, protective, safe. We all want to feel approval, to feel as if we have done the right thing and to have a majority of people agree with us. The United States, a nation of diversity, of difference, wants to feel comfortable as a collective. When we drove away the British empire, we came together and celebrated our newfound freedom (and then annihilated the Native Americans and enslaved thousands of Africans). When we defeated Nazi Germany in WWII, we came together and celebrated our steadfastness, our strength, and our collective virtue (African Americans weren't invited to the party, and women had to do all the dishes afterwards). And ever since WWII, we have remained nostalgic of that war's

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections on American restlessness ?
We want to hear your view. Write now!