New World Notes - Howard Zinn on War

This week on New World Notes: radio program #203, January 24, from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m., host Kenneth Dowst presents some highly relevant reflections on our wars by the late Progressive historian (and World War II veteran) Howard Zinn. Among his main points:

If war resulted from human nature, national leaders would not need propaganda, the draft, and prisons to cajole and compel citizens to participate. It's the leaders--not the citizens--who want war. Therefore, the first step to war is a propaganda campaign at home to secure public assent. War solves no problems, transforms virtuous people into beasts, and kills primarily innocent civilians. Finally: It's an uphill battle (forgive the metaphor), but people may be able to abolish war if they try.

As a bombardier in the Army Air Corps, Zinn helped kill his share of innocent civilians--as he later realized and acknowledged. A particularly striking incident, in which Zinn participated, was the destruction of the French resort town of Royan--a town of no military significance--in the final days of the war in Europe.

Zinn later learned that the massive raid on Royan had killed a few German soldiers--who were "hiding and waiting out the closing days of the war"--and more than 1,500 French civilians. The carnage gave a few generals another "success" to add to their resumes. And it gave the Air Corps its first chance to test a new weapon it had developed: napalm.

Zinn died two years ago, on January 27, 2010.

Zinn's remarks are taken from a video interview (courtesy of brasschecktv.com) and a public speech in Madison, WI, in 2006 (courtesy of democracynow.org).