Fighting through the Lies

I am currently in college and have to, of course, write various papers English Comp. I have written several so far, even being graced by being recorded for air on a local radio station. This weekend, I have worked up a personal perspective writing of my choice addressing the lies taught to us in history. I have focused this moderate piece on the lies leading the US into some of the bloodiest and worst wars in the last 100 years. While I did go over the 1000 words mark a bit, I could not find anything to really take out without losing the entire meaning behind the writing. I submit it here for your viewing pleasure and would gladly accept comment and critique, should have any.

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Fighting Through the Lies

“History is written by the victors” is an age old adage used often to excuse the errors found in the written accounts of history. Additionally, “there are three sides to every story; yours, mine, and the truth” further compounds the mystery of truth in historical accounting. If true, then how can anyone trust what they are being taught, told, or what they read? The very study of history is, to a degree, futile when you consider these theories and facts.

One of the most controversial points of historical lie comes with the study of the reasons behind, methods employed, and outcomes recorded about wars fought throughout time. War is a carnal instinct shared by man and beast. However, man has made an art of war. It is the pursuit of power in its many forms that drives man to pit brother against brother and nations against nations. Baron John Acton said “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It stands to reason that one way to improve one’s own position of power is to insure that the historical accounts of the reasoning and outcome of war favor the victor. Not every account of history is inaccurate or a lie, but many battles have been fought for unjust reasons. To keep favor with the populace these reasons had to be justified by the creation of what is known as a false flag event, which is an event that is fabricated or carried out in a manner that gives the illusion of aggression by another group. This is where the line between historical fact and historical fiction often gets crossed.

After nearly 2 years of fighting throughout Europe, the United States joined the campaign against the Axis powers fighting in World War 1. The catalyst behind US involvement in the war centers almost entirely around the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, as well as rumors spread by the British. In 1915, the ocean liner was sunk by Germany’s U-20 submarine, which took the lives of many American and British citizens, leaders and power brokers. The liner was reported as an innocent cruise liner, but a diving expedition in 2006 found its cargo to consist of munitions, marking it as a clearly legitimate target in an area the Germans had already warned to be a hostile war zone. While this single action caused an outrage, it was not the ultimate reason for US involvement. Desperate for America to join the war effort, the British began circulating a rumor that Germany created a school holiday for their children to celebrate the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. This was even documented in the memoirs of James Gerard, a US Ambassador to Germany. The US involvement in World War 1 came under the guise of propaganda and lies from both ally and enemy and cost the lives of countless American soldiers.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” was spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his speech following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. History has taught that this was a surprise attack. In fact, US Embassy secretary Ricardo Sheiber learned of this plan 11 months before and throughout the year 1941, more intelligence information continued to be gathered. However, this attack plan was never exposed by the president or the naval commanders that would have protected Pearl Harbor and saved the lives of over 2000 American citizens and soldiers. Why? Because this was the single event that FDR needed to engage America into World War 2. Even the Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, wrote in his diary that “for a long time I have believed that our best entrance into the war would be through Japan.” On December 8, 1941, the US officially declared war on Japan and joined a global war campaign that cost 60 million people their lives around the globe.

On August 2, 1964, in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam, Vietnamese PT Boats engaged US destroyer ships, leading the US into one of the most difficult and controversial battles in history. Officially dubbed a police action, the US fought to protect the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam, from the communist rule of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam. The official report from the USS Maddox, a US Naval destroyer conducting covert intelligence gathering in the area, was that they evaded a torpedo attack from a Vietnamese P-4 patrol boat, to which they responded with machine gun fire and aircraft from the USS Ticonderoga. Two days later, the USS Maddox again reported Vietnamese activity and spent the evening aggressively firing on radar targets they believed to be enemy vessels inbound on attack. Recently, National Security Agency declassified documentation recorded that the first engagement between the PT Boats and the Maddox was actually initiated by the USS Maddox and not from a PT Boat torpedo attack. This information was inaccurately presented to President Johnson. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara also lied to congress in a hearing on the events in the Gulf of Tonkin and to the reasons why US navy ships were in the area. These lies led to congress passing the “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution” in 1964, allowing the president to take any steps necessary to prevent further attack on US forces. For 11 years, US soldiers would fight and die in a campaign that held no value to most American citizens and still today thousands of citizens are dealing with the aftermath of these lies and propaganda leading up to the Vietnam Conflict.

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[edit on 16-11-2008 by wheresthetruth]

[edit on 16-11-2008 by wheresthetruth]

(cont.)

For over 5 years, the US has been leading the charge against terrorism in the Middle East. Saddam Hussein was identified by President George Bush as the greatest threat to American freedom. As well, the intelligence reports showed clearly and without doubt that Iraq was in possession of enough chemical weapon components to fill 16000 combat warheads. However, UN inspectors were never able to find any significant stockpiles. This did not stop the US from declaring war on Iraq, capturing and removing Saddam Hussein from power, and remain in the nation for over 5 years and counting. To this day, no evidence of any nuclear or biological weaponry has ever been found in the significance originally stated by the Bush administration.

So, why have so many wars been entered on the basis of lies and propaganda? Why would political and government leaders risk the lives of American soldiers and citizens in such charades? While there are no simple answers, some facts about war are that it stimulates economy, creates fear within the people of a nation and displays power. War allows political leaders more flexible spending with the income generated by tax revenue, which is not always spent as it would be reported to the public. War is a means of control over the citizens of a nation. As long as the people are kept in a state of fear and panic, they cannot recognize any insidious activity by their political leaders. It is the ultimate chess game with the power holders as the players and the citizens of the nations as the pieces. In the end, it is all about acquisition of wealth and power.


[edit on 16-11-2008 by wheresthetruth]

[edit on 16-11-2008 by wheresthetruth]