O Pinions!

Collateral damage ... me ... from 2 wars.

Collateral damage
29.march.2020

I wrote to vivacious on facebook: " I should write an article about the collateral damage ... me ... from two wars, one a War of Commission (Viet Nam), the other a War of Omission (Aids in the 80s). Peace of mind, vulnerability, economic fallout, depression and suicide should all be addressed. If I write it I should send you a link."

So ... not in the mood to write it now. Notes:

1. Commission is action; Omission is inaction.

Viet Nam was a war of liberation from colonialism, France. It was taken over by the USA, repackaged as a war of ideology ... a.k.a. freedom. It was a time of patriotism and "we're number 1!" It became a pissing contest. In the end the USA lost.

It was aggressive action and soldiers needed to found. When there weren't enough they needed to be drafted against their will. Real freedom was given up to fight for an abstract freedom. The poor were sent to the front lines to die first. America was willing to sacrifice a generation to maintain their superiority complex. If the poor perished it was all good. The War on the Poor started long before and is still going ... the longest war the US has ever fought.

AIDs was also a chapter of the War on the Poor. In this case people were dying from a disease that conveniently was labeled the "Gay Disease" to allow the people in power to not waste their resources fighting it, since it was only affecting those who deserved to die.

The inaction condemned many. The hysteria surrounding an infectious disease meant that family and friends abandoned those who needed them. Truth was suppressed or sensationalized. There was no effort to find a cure. If gay men
perished it was all good.

2. Peace of mind. War isn't productive if people are peaceful. Anger against others serves the purpose much better. Peace of mind may be desirable at all times; but it's hard when those around are attacking. (Need personal experience of high-anxiety over a period of years)

3. Vulnerability. Not everyone was equally vulnerable. In Viet Nam only young men were directly sacrificed and even then the poor were sacrificed first and foremost. Draft boards could save or condemn someone on a whim. The wealthy were protected by connections. The lottery was an attempt to correct that. But ... some still had connections and were exempt. (personal experience as a #49)

In the Aids War gay men were gladly sacrificed, similar to the Holocaust were Jews, Disabled, Jehovah Witnesses, Roma, and gay men were considered less than human and therefore expendable. "Straight" men had to be careful about being labeled "undesirable". Many real heroines were Lesbians. (personal experience about withdrawing)

4. Economic fallout. Because Viet Nam was a war of commission and aggression, the manufacturing aspect of the economy boomed. After WW2 the US had no rivals economically and could both fight a war (that wasn't fought on their own soil) and promote prosperity at home. The Age of Camelot was promoted until body bags and television clips shocked people into waking up to reality. The war was great for the economy however. (but not for me ... personal experience in '75 and after)

Aids War was not so great except in a negative way. By not spending money to provide medical care, by not doing research into treatment, by not making any attempt to find a cure, money was saved. Since dying people aren't "productive" in an American sense, nothing was lost. Except some brilliant minds, sensitive minds, artist of all sorts. But intelligence, sensitivity, art are not valued. (many examples of how gay men were sacrificed over decades: Garcia Lorca, Alan Turing ... was I?)

5. Depression and suicide. Viet Nam affected those who went, those who had family that went, those who refused to go, those who were too frightened by it all. The aftermath of PTSD suffered by soldiers is well documented. All the others are ignored. At least soldiers were 'heroes' ... to some ... (personal angst)

Aids War also saw depression and suicide. And bad behavior. "If I get corona, I get corona." Defeatist attitudes were rampant as was survivor guilt. (how did I cope?)

6. Collateral damage. In the War against Iraq, US soldiers were wept over as heroes. Iraqi civilians were 'collateral damage'. At what point is the "Destruction of Sin City" seen as God's retribution. Will opinions change when it hits small rural towns as both Viet Nam and the Aids War did? (I was collateral damage then, am I still?)

7. Summary of how the War on the Poor is a theme throughout US history. From the killing fields of slaughtered Native Americans, those killed during the Labor Riots, those vilified when labeled not-American (Japanese, Red Scare, African, Latino, Chinese ...). How the response to this virus is gas-lighting by those who could have waged a War of Commission but decided on a War of Omission for personal and political gain. (why this triggers me, how it applies still)

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