[lbo-talk] Re: how's it feel?

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

Yoshie:
>
> to hassle anti-war protesters.  After the war began, support did 
> climb, but the source of support is mainly the desire not to make US 
> soldiers feel guilty.  The reasoning is that if you oppose the war 
> vocally, you may end up making US soldiers -- during or after the war 
> -- bear the psychological burden of guilt, the guilt of killing or 
> having killed without moral support.  Paradoxically, they express 
> support for the war _because_ they know that killing is a horrifying 
> act that leaves an unbearable memory if unsanctioned by the majority 
> of society.  They say they support the war _because_ they don't want 
> young American men and women to fight an unpopular war.

That looks like a very convoluted explanation.  The truth is much
simpler - herding behavior.  People support the war for the same reason
they root for the home team - because thay have ben trained to do so
since pre-school.  Being an outcast was always punished by ostracism or
bullying.  For males, moreover, participation in collective violence
(virtual or actual) is a ritual affirming their manhood in front of
their peers - refusal to participate would be seen as a sign of weakness
and lower their rank vis a vis other males.

Wojtek