We Will Always Need An Enemy

In the Soviet-era, we were taught to fear Russia and China because they were communist. But now Russia is capitalist and China is using the free market to grow their economy and we’re still being told to fear Russia and China, so it must just be them we should hate. Except for the last couple of decades we were told to fear Islamic extremism, right up to the time we could no longer deny we were supporting and arming violent Islamic extremists in Libya, in Syria, and elsewhere.

So maybe it’s just the fact that we need a constant enemy to blame for the failures of our own government. Maybe we just need an enemy to create a constant state of fear among the public.

Maybe we just need an enemy to justify the hundreds of billions we spend on the military every year, more than the next 10 countries combined. Maybe we need enemies because weapons are our #1 export.

Maybe we need an enemy to obscure the fact that our relationship with the outside world is based on domination and that we can never hope to create a peaceful world, merely a subdued one.

Maybe we need an enemy in order to squelch dissent at home. Maybe we need an enemy to justify censorship. Maybe an enemy is necessary to justify government secrecy.

Maybe we need an enemy to justify jailing journalists. Maybe we need an enemy to justify capitalism and the belief in competition rather than co-operation. Maybe we need an enemy so that we can view the other party as traitors to our country.

Maybe we need an enemy so that we can do bad things and still feel like we’re the good guys. Maybe we need an enemy to project our shadow upon.

Maybe we need an enemy to distract us from what’s going on at home. Maybe we need an enemy to keep you from thinking your own thoughts and feeling your own feelings.

Maybe we need an enemy to keep us from realizing that the call is coming from inside the house. Maybe we need an enemy because we have already met the enemy, and he is US.