Uniting and strengthening all of the WWII myths is the overarching myth that Ted Grimsrud, following Walter Wink, calls "the myth of redemptive violence," or "the quasi-religious belief that we may gain 'salvation' through violence." As a result of this myth, writes Grimsrud, "People in the modern world (as in the ancient world), and not least people in the United States of America, put tremendous faith in instruments of violence to provide security and the possibility of victory over their enemies. The amount of trust people put in such instruments may be seen perhaps most clearly in the amount of resources they devote to preparation for war."[xxix]
People aren't consciously choosing to believe in the myths of WWII and violence. Grimsrud explains: "Part of the effectiveness of this myth stems from its invisibility as a myth. We tend to assume that violence is simply part of the nature of things; we see acceptance of violence to be factual, not based on belief. So we are not self-aware about the faith-dimension of our acceptance of violence. We think we know as a simple fact that violence works, that violence is necessary, that violence is inevitable. We don't realize that instead, we operate in the realm of belief, of mythology, of religion, in relation to the acceptance of violence."[xxx]
It takes an effort to escape the myth of redemptive violence, because it's been there since childhood: "Children hear a simple story in cartoons, video games, movies, and books: we are good, our enemies are evil, the only way to deal with evil is to defeat it with violence, let's roll.
The myth of redemptive violence links directly with the centrality of the nation-state. The welfare of the nation, as defined by its leaders, stands as the highest value for life here on earth. There can be no gods before the nation. This myth not only established a patriotic religion at the heart of the state, but also gives the nation's imperialistic imperative divine sanction. . . . World War II and its direct aftermath greatly accelerated the evolution of the United States into a militarized society and . . . this militarization relies on the myth of redemptive violence for its sustenance. Americans continue to embrace the myth of redemptive violence even in face of mounting evidence that its resulting militarization has corrupted American democracy and is destroying the country's economy and physical environment. . . . As recently as the late 1930s, American military spending was minimal and powerful political forces opposed involvement in 'foreign entanglements'."[xxxi]
Prior to WWII, Grimsrud notes, "when America engaged in military conflict . . . at the end of the conflict the nation demobilized . . . . Since World War II, there has been no full demobilization because we have moved directly from World War II to the Cold War to the War on Terrorism. That is, we have moved into a situation where 'all times are times of war.' . . . Why would non-elites, who bear terrible costs by living in a permanent war society, submit to this arrangement, even in many cases offering intense support? . . . The answer is quite simple: the promise of salvation."[xxxii]
[i] Sabatini ended up suffering from depression, panic attacks, and bad health. See Luana Rosato, Il Giornale, "Miss Italia, Alice Sabatini: 'Dopo la vittoria sono caduta in depressione'," January 30, 2020, click here
[ii] Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The Guardian, "The Myth of the Good War," December 9, 2014, Click Here
[iii] Raw Story, Youtube.com, "Trump mocks renaming Confederate bases by suggesting naming them after Al Sharpton," July 19, 2020, Click Here
[iv] Studs Terkel, The Good War: An Oral History of World War II (The New Press, 1997).
[v] WikiLeaks, "HRC Paid Speeches," ileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/927
[vi] United States Strategic Bombing Survey: Japan's Struggle to End the War, July 1, 1946, click here
[vii] Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick , The Untold History of the United States (Simon & Schuster, 2012), p. 164.
[viii] Bard Memorandum, June 27, 1945, .dannen.com/decision/bardmemo.html
[ix] Christian Kriticos, The Millions, "An Invitation to Hesitate: John Hersey's 'Hiroshima' at 70," August 31, 2016, click here
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