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Veterans Reflect

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Written by Washington Peace Center   
Thursday, 18 August 2011 20:08
Veterans Reflect
Based on their direct experiences with war, many military members have formed groups to raise their voices in opposition to the ongoing occupation of Iraq. Geoffrey Millard, an Iraq war veteran, puts it eloquently: “Today's resisters take steps on a spectrum of resistance that is largely possible because of the existence of an organization called Iraq Veterans Against the War.” In addition, the peace movement still has a long way to go in terms of gaining political influence.

I sat down for an in-depth discussion about these issues with Paul Chappell, an Iraq war
veteran who is now the Peace Leadership Director for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Please visit his website at HYPERLINK "http://www.Paulkchappell.com" www.Paulkchappell.com.

Laura Russello: How would you compare the war resistance movement over the last 20 years with that of the Vietnam era?
Paul Chappell: I think the present day war resistance movement has not really adapted.
The overall political situation has changed and the peace movement is not addressing the appropriate issues. The biggest shift since the Vietnam era is the privatization of the military. Private contractors are making massive profits off the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which marks a shift in how war is conducted in general. I see the peace movement stuck focusing primarily on counter-recruitment, which is a mistake because of this shift toward privatization.

The fundamental myth that keeps the war system going is the idea that war, and having a huge military budget, is keeping us safe. If you believe this, then you will logically assume you are safer when more money is spent on war. The peace movement needs to show people that war is not making them safer.

Laura Russello: That makes sense to me. How do you propose we make this case to the general public?
Paul Chappel: The evidence that war is not keeping us safe is overwhelming. There are numerous studies showing that war increases terrorism. On top of that, we need to educate people about how the economy will continue to suffer if we keep putting huge amounts of money into the military. Another assertion I’ve heard is that human beings are naturally violent, which is easy to refute. The greatest problem with every army in world history has been how to get soldiers not to run away from combat. To deal with this, the army creates a sense of family and camaraderie among military members, telling them the people they’re fighting will come take away their way of life. This creates a sense of one’s family being in danger, and this will make people fight in order to protect it. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another example of why violence is not inherent in humans. If war is natural, why would people develop PTSD?

Laura Russello: What role do you see veterans playing in the peace movement today?
Paul Chappell: Since 9/11 there has been a great deal of campaigning in the media,
and by citizen groups, to promote veterans as highly respected heroes. Because of this
widespread promotion, veterans are in a great position to speak out about issues of war.
Veterans also have first-hand experience and carry a high degree of credibility when speaking about the atrocities of war.

Laura Russello: What are some next steps the peace movement can take?
Paul Chappell: We need a better strategy. In my opinion this means going after the weakest targets of the opposition, which are the underlying myths I mentioned earlier surrounding the war system. We need to pay attention to how we present ourselves - which includes our dress, our messaging and our consistency in messaging. We need training for young people in the movement. We have to change people’s thinking through dialogue. I’ve met many peace activists who cannot talk to someone they disagree with without getting angry.

Laura Russello: What do you see as the greatest strength of the peace movement?
Paul Chappell: We have the truth on our side, just as the civil rights and women’s sufferage movements did. We know war doesn’t make us safe and that there are better ways to resolve conflict. We’re on the right side of history and because of this we don’t have to use tricks, propaganda or deception.

_____________________________
Laura Russello is the former Executive Director of Michigan Peaceworks. She is
a writer and editor for her community-based blog, Calescent Paradigm: Igniting
Social Change Through Thought, Action and Art (http://lauramrussello.wordpress.
com) and also volunteers with the Washington Peace Center.

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