One could have some respect for the thing if it provided a real opportunity to destroy our enemies, not merely a series of humiliating occasions on which to obey our commanders.
all the usage in the world
Caesar non supra grammaticos.
Anon.
I am a grammarian.
We will or we will not cry together.
Gertrude Stein
6 comments:
Well, in order to "destroy out enemies" we have to "obey our friends", don't we?
Sorry - "destroy OUR enemies"
The aphorism's force lies in that "merely", I think. Also, your general (and certainly your sergeant) is not your friend.
Quoting Rothenberg, the editors of Octopus Magazine announced their desire to "take a squad out to the woods/& beat them."
Today, no war offers a squad (of friends) nor anyone worth beating nor a proper wood.
If all you have is enemies then you are screwed either way. In war and politics having enemies requires having friends. (Carl Schmitt Begriff des Politischen).
I think we agree. My critique of war is, explicitly, that it offers no occasion to destroy your (real) enemies. Implicitly, I'm saying war doesn't offer us an occasion to get together with our friends.
I guess I'm arguing for the kind of war where you get together with your friends to strike at your enemies. I just don't see that happening these days.
PS. Måske var det noget med en dansk blog-ven? Vi skriver nogengange om krig...
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